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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

great skua killed an adult ganet (7 Viewers)

Post #97

cheers
martin

Alan henry said:
1. The latest photograph shows a Northern Giant Petrel, a Black Vulture, a Kelp Gull and a South Polar Skua around a carcass. The Vulture is attempting to mantle the carcass, the Gull is feeding, it is impossible to assign a definite behaviour to the Giant Petrel and the Skua is standing there. What does that show, apart from the fact there are 4 species of bird around a food source?

Ok where was this photo? what number post??

Cheers

Alan
Click to expand...
 
Cheers Chris & Martin,

I did think Scuba0095 was talking about that picture, but just could not believe that he said there was a Black Vulture in the picture...:eek!::eek!:


Think it is time to end this thread.....


Alan
 
Since every other bird has been thrown into the thread what about Skua relations with Snowy Owl, Glaucous Gulls, Buzzards and Goshawks - if they ever met the latter anywhere.
 
I've just stumbled on this thread....very amusing from a spectators point of view.

I'm unsure who to feel most sorry for...the OP...the respondents...or the Fairy Wren astride the hapless Cassowary? :)

FWIW pers.obs. June 1970, I was on a very small (8 seater?) wooden boat,
going out to Handa Island (Sutherland).
Around the half way mark, we picked up a flock of Kittiwakes flying alongside. (If memory serves, mostly Juvs.). When out of the blue a Grt.Skua appeared and killed a Juv.Kittiwake in a most vicious assault that lasted just seconds.(this took place..c2m from port side, just above the surface.
To this day, it was singularly, the most barbaric attack that I've ever witnessed..no doubt due to our proximity, and the consumate ease to which the Skua butchered it's prey.

On a size matters debate...the Bonxie weighs in at c1.5 Kilos, as opposed to the Kittiwakes c400g, with the female Gyr at c2Kg and the GBBG at c1.7-2.2Kg.

From a strictly scientific perspective...I wouldn't like any of them ''in the face'' at 30 knots :(
 
funnily enough was watching some GBBG and Great Skua interaction today and im afraid scuba your beloved skua took a bit of a beating
 
I think with the great black backs and skuas it goes both ways. I was in the UK and got to see them interact a bit. Sometimes the skua would win sometimes the great black backs. Usually in the air the skuas seem to have their way with the great black backed gulls. When they land it seems the gulls are able to stop the assault. The skua seems to be the most of aggressive of sea birds. just like david attenborough said.
 
VERY impressive encounters on this thread. I had no idea that any bird was able to kill large skuas like that johnny rook did.


The giant petrals are indeed savage brutes! I have seen videos of them killing adult king penguins! I don't think any bird messes with them. There was some pictures of them attacking blue sharks?

Going through the previous threads on skuas here it seemed the majority of people did not think a great black backed gull stood any chance. Seems people who have personal experience with them view them as the top of the food chain.

If people read the captions on pictures you don't have to assume what happened the person who takes the picture tells us exactly what happened. I had no idea GBB gulls rob osprey so easy? Doing research you see them doing this alot actually. I guess the osprey lacks the manoeuvrability to handle the gull.

Herons are poor flyers so I assume that is why the osprey was able to kill the large bird.
 
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