Nest distribution of skuas on Barton and Weaver peninsulas of the King George Island, the antarctic

The ratio of breeding pairs of brown skuas (Catharacta lonnbergi), south polar skuas (C. maccormicki) and mixed species pairs between Barton and Weaver peninsulas remained the same x²-test, x²=0.503, df=2, p-0.778). The nests of skuas were clustered on Barton, whereas they were distributed randomly on the Weaver peninsula. The distance between brown skua nests, and that of mixed species pair nests were longer than those of south polar skua nests. Brown skua nests were distributed along the coast. Whereas, the nests of mixed species pairs and south polar skuas were found more frequently inland (Kruskal-Wallis, x²=11.631, df=2, p<0.005). There was no interspecific difference in the distances between skua nests and Penguin rookery at Barton (Kruskal-Wallis, x²=2.153, df=2, p=0.341) or at King Sejong Station (ANOVA, F=1.483, df-2, p=0.229). In general, skuas prefer lower locales (<125 m above sea level) for their nest building sites. Brown skua nests were distributed mainly on the beach, whereas south polar skua were distributed on the predominant periglacial landforms and till areas x²-test, x²=24.988, df=8, p<0.005).