Robert Island is an isolated and enchanting place in Antarctica’s South Shetland Islands. The island is home to a diverse range of fascinating wildlife, including many bird species, both native and migratory.
Birds are an essential part of the delicate ecosystem of Robert Island, and these winged creatures play a crucial role in the island’s ecological balance.
In this article, we will delve into the world of birds in Robert Island, exploring the different species, their habitats, behaviors, and their impact on the island’s unique environment.
24 Common Birds Found Near Robert Island
Robert Island is a small island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It is a remote and beautiful place with rich and diverse wildlife, including many bird species. Some of these birds are native to the island, while others visit it during their migration or breeding seasons.
We will explore 24 common birds that can be found near Robert Island and learn more about their characteristics, habitats, and behaviors.
1. Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is an iconic bird of prey found throughout the northern hemisphere. It is a large, powerful raptor with dark brown feathers and lighter golden-brown plumage on its nape.
Immature eagles have white patches around their beaks, tails, and wings, which they lose as they mature.
Its diet consists mainly of small mammals such as rabbits, hares, and marmots but can also include birds or reptiles, depending on where it lives.
These majestic creatures are known for their remarkable strength in flight, using thermal updrafts to soar high into the sky, searching for food, or simply enjoying the view below them.
They are often seen soaring alone over open expanses, looking out for potential threats from other predators like wolves or foxes that may encroach upon their territory.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Aquila |
| Species | A. chrysaetos |
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2. American Wigeon
The American Wigeon, also known as the Baldpate, is a species of dabbling duck found throughout North America.
It closely resembles its Eurasian counterpart and was formally described in 1789 by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin.
This medium-sized bird has a grey body with white feathers on its face and belly, giving it a distinctive bald appearance.
Its wings are brownish black with green speculum markings, while the tail is dark brown or black at the base and gradually lightens near the tips to become chestnut-colored.
The male wigeons have purple patches on their heads during the breeding season and yellow eyes, which helps differentiate them from females, who have duller colors around their faces instead of bright ones like males.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae |
| Genus | Mareca |
| Species | M. Americana |
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3. Mallard
The Mallard is a species of dabbling duck that can be found living in temperate and subtropical regions across the Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa.
Humans have introduced it to other areas, such as New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, and South Africa.
This beautiful bird belongs to the Anatinae subfamily of waterfowl family Anatidae. The adult mallards have glossy green heads with white neck rings surrounding them.
Its brownish-grey body feathers make it look stunning when it flies away or sits in its natural habitat around lakes or ponds.
They are excellent swimmers, too, due to webbed feet, which help them swim fast underwater while looking for food like aquatic insects, etc. Their loud quacking sound makes them quite popular among nature lovers.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae |
| Genus | Anas |
| Species | A. platyrhynchos |
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4. Osprey
The Osprey is a majestic bird of prey with an extensive habitat range. It has distinctive brown upperparts, greyish head, and underparts, making it easily identifiable in the skies above many regions worldwide.
With a wingspan of up to 180cm (71in) and a body length reaching 60cm (24in), this large raptor specializes in hunting for fish, soaring high over rivers and coasts, and searching for its next meal.
Despite living near water sources, they can also be found inhabiting mountainsides or even woodlands, proving their incredible adaptability. It is an impressive species that truly deserves admiration.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Pandionidae |
| Genus | Pandion |
| Species | P. haliaetus |
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5. Gadwall
The Gadwall is a species of duck belonging to the Anatidae family. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, and DNA studies show that it is closely related to the Falcated Duck and three other Wigeons.
They are standard and can be found across many parts of North America and Europe.
In terms of appearance, they have light grey bodies with white underbellies, brown wings tipped with black spots, yellowish-orange bills, dark eyes, and distinctive chestnut heads, which make them easy to identify among other ducks.
They prefer shallow wetlands but also inhabit ponds or lakes during winter migration season, where they feed on aquatic plants such as pondweed or water lilies alongside small insects like beetles or dragonflies when available.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae |
| Genus | Mareca |
| Species | M. strepera |
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6. Pied-Billed Grebe
The Pied-billed Grebe is a water bird found in ponds throughout the Americas. It has earned many nicknames, including American dabchick, rail, and Carolina grebe.
This grebe species can be recognized by its distinctive bill, pied or mottled with black and white markings.
Its brownish body is also covered in dark spots, and it has long legs for swimming underwater to catch food, such as aquatic insects and crustaceans.
The Pied-billed Grebes are monogamous birds that pair up during the breeding season from spring to summer, where they build their nests together on vegetation near the shoreline of lakes or slow-moving rivers.
These birds are solitary outside of mating season but will form small flocks when migrating south for winter months.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Podicipediformes |
| Family | Podicipedidae |
| Genus | Podilymbus |
| Species | P. podiceps |
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7. Green Heron
The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a small heron throughout North and Central America.
Its scientific name comes from the Middle English tutor, meaning bittern, and the Latin term for its distinctive greenish color – ‘virescent.’
For many years, it was considered part of the same species as the Striated Heron (Butorides striata), commonly referred to as “green-backed herons.”
The nominate subspecies inhabits wetlands across much of this range, where they can be spotted stalking about in shallow water, looking for fish or frogs on which to feed.
They are fascinating wading birds that have even been known to use tools such as sticks or baited lines when fishing.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Ardeidae |
| Genus | Butorides |
| Species | B. virescens |
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8. Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a majestic wading bird found in many parts of North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and even as far away as the Galapagos Islands.
It has an impressive wingspan which can reach up to six feet wide. Its feathers are mainly bluish-gray with brownish streaks on its neck and chest, while its head displays white plumes.
The adult herons can also be identified by their yellow bill and legs.
They live near bodies of water such as lakes, marshes, or rivers, feeding on fish using a spear-like motion with their sharp bills.
An all-white population exists only in South Florida and the Florida Keys, making it unique.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Ardeidae |
| Genus | Ardea |
| Species | A. herodias |
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9. Piping Plover
The Piping Plover is a small shorebird found along sandy or gravel beaches in North America.
It has yellow-orange-red legs, and its distinctive features include a black band across the forehead from eye to eye and a thicker chest band for males during the breeding season.
They are threatened by human activity in their habitats, such as the increasing development of coastal areas and the destruction of their nesting sites due to recreation activities like beach driving and off-leash dogs.
Conservation efforts aim to protect these birds through habitat protection measures, including fencing off areas where they nest and restricting access during breeding seasons.
The future looks brighter with conservation initiatives by local governments slowly bringing the population up again over time.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Charadriidae |
| Genus | Charadrius |
| Species | C. melodus |
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10. Black Skimmer
The Black Skimmer is a seabird that belongs to the skimmer genus Rynchops and Laridae family.
It breeds in North and South America, while Northern populations migrate south for winter towards warmer climates such as the Caribbean or Pacific coasts.
The Southern American races have adapted to annual floods by migrating shorter during this time.
These birds are easily identified by their unique long red bill with an upper mandible longer than its lower mandible.
They feed mainly on small fish caught at night when they skim across shallow water using their beak like a knife cutting through waves of water.
Their dark grey back contrasts against white belly feathers, creating beautiful patterns in flight, aiding them in catching prey easier due to their camouflage effect above and below the water’s surface.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Laridae |
| Genus | Rynchops |
| Species | R. niger |
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11. Common Tern
The Common Tern is a seabird in the Laridae family, found all over Europe, Asia, and North America. It is migratory, spending its winters in coastal tropical and subtropical regions.
Breeding adults have light grey upperparts with white to very light grey underparts featuring an orange-red beak and black cap.
They are known for their graceful flight as they hunt small fish or insects by diving into water from great heights.
During the breeding season, they build nests on islands or sandbars using grasses and other materials to create them.
The female will lay two eggs, which she incubates while her mate stands guard nearby; both parents take turns feeding the chicks until it’s time for them to fly away.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Laridae |
| Genus | Sterna |
| Species | S. hirundo |
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12. Grey Plover
The Grey Plover is a large plover bird that breeds in the Arctic region. It then migrates long distances and can be found on coastlines worldwide when not breeding.
The species was first described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 under its binomial name “Tringa squatarola.”
In addition to being known as grey plovers or black-bellied plovers, they are sometimes referred to as “black-breasted lapwings” due to their distinctive plumage that features white underneath with dark greys above.
These birds inhabit beaches, mudflats, and salt marshes, feeding mainly on small invertebrates such as worms and insects.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Charadriidae |
| Genus | Pluvialis |
| Species | P. squatarola |
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13. Black-Crowned Night Heron
The Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) is a medium-sized bird found in various parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, and North and South America.
It has black crowns on its head with white feathers underneath. Its wings are greyish brown, while its underparts are primarily white.
This species can be seen foraging near shallow water or along coastlines during dusk or dawn as it hunts small fish, amphibians, and crustaceans.
They also feed on insects such as grasshoppers and beetles in meadows close to freshwater bodies like lakes or ponds, where they breed during springtime, making nests using twigs lined with reeds and leaves near these waterside habitats.
In Australasia, this species hybridizes with the nankeen night heron that inhabits those areas instead; however, both populations remain distinct despite their overlapped range regions.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Ardeidae |
| Genus | Nycticorax |
| Species | N. nycticorax |
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14. Eurasian Whimbrel
Eurasian Whimbrels are a wading bird species commonly found in subarctic regions of Europe and Asia.
They have white rumps, long curved bills, brown wings, and backs with light streaking on the lower breast.
These birds feed mainly on crustaceans, mollusks, or worms they find while probing in the mud during low tide.
During the breeding season, they can be seen nesting near coastal areas or wetlands where food is plentiful.
This species has recently been split from Hudsonian whimbrels. However, some authorities still consider them to be one species due to their similarities, including migration patterns and habitat preferences.
Eurasian whimbrels are an important part of many ecosystems because they help control insect populations by eating larvae before they can cause damage to crops or vegetation nearby.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Scolopacidae |
| Genus | Numenius |
| Species | N. phaeopus |
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15. Tundra Swan
The Tundra swan is a small species of swan found in the Holarctic region. It can be divided into two separate taxa, Bewick’s Swan and Whistling Swan.
The former inhabits the Palearctic area, while the latter resides near North America.
These birds are typically white with black bills and eyes, but their legs vary from yellow to greyish-black depending on which subspecies they belong to.
They feed mainly on aquatic plants such as algae, roots, tubers, and various seeds.
During migration, these birds fly together in large flocks that may contain hundreds or even thousands of individuals at one time.
This majestic bird is an important part of many wetland ecosystems worldwide. It is vital in controlling vegetation growth and nutrients across its habitat range.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae |
| Genus | Cygnus |
| Species | C. columbianus |
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16. Snowy Egret
The Snowy Egret is a small white heron native to North America. Its scientific name, Egretta thula, comes from Provençal French for the little egret and an incorrect reference to the Black-necked Swan by Chilean naturalist Juan Ignacio Molina in 1782.
This beautiful bird has black legs, feet, and a long plume of feathers on its head that often appears as if it’s wearing a crown.
It feeds primarily on insects and aquatic life like fish or frogs, making it well adapted for wetland habitats such as marshes or swamps and coastal areas near shorelines.
Their graceful movements make them truly delightful creatures to observe while exploring nature.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Ardeidae |
| Genus | Egretta |
| Species | E. thula |
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17. Least Tern
The Least Tern is a species of tern native to North America and northern South America. It has many close relatives, such as the yellow-billed and Peruvian tern from South America or the little tern from the Old World.
The bird measures 8.7 – 9.4 inches in length with a wingspan of 16–18 inches across, making it an intermediate size between most other species of birds within its family groupings.
Its feathers are usually gray on top with white underneath. They typically have darker accents near their heads and bright red bills for feeding during summer when they mate upon beaches found throughout these regions mentioned above.
They feed mainly on small fish that live at shallow depths near shorelines and nest nearby due to migratory patterns that occur annually each year.
Hence, this bird does not travel long distances away from areas known as home for them over long periods like some other types do.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Laridae |
| Genus | Sternula |
| Species | S. antillarum |
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18. Yellow-Crowned Night Heron
The Yellow-crowned night heron is a beautiful and unique bird species native to the Americas. It has distinctive yellow crowns on its head, making it easy to identify among other herons.
These birds are also larger than most other types of herons, reaching up to 70 cm in length and 850 g in weight.
They usually feed on small fish or crustaceans while wading through shallow waters with their long legs.
The yellow-crowned night heron can be found near marshes or lakes during the breeding season when they build nests made from twigs high above the ground for protection against predators like raccoons and foxes.
This majestic bird is an important part of wetland ecosystems as it helps balance populations of smaller aquatic animals by preying upon them.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Ardeidae |
| Genus | Nyctanassa |
| Species | N. violacea |
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19. Double-Crested Cormorant
The double-crested cormorant is a majestic bird with an impressive wingspan spanning North America from the Aleutian Islands to Mexico.
Its black plumage stands out against its bright orange-yellow facial skin and some extended patches of white feathers on each side of its throat.
It measures 28 – 35 inches in length and has webbed feet that enable it to swim gracefully through rivers, lakes, and coastal areas.
These birds are known for their voracious appetite for fish, sometimes diving over 100 ft deep into water looking for food.
Despite this reputation, they feed on crustaceans, amphibians, and insects when available.
Cormorants have been part of many cultures throughout history due to their remarkable ability to fly long distances, making them valued messengers or companions during fishing expeditions at sea.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Suliformes |
| Family | Phalacrocoracidae |
| Genus | Nannopterum |
| Species | N. auritum |
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20. Hooded Merganser
The Hooded Merganser is a beautiful and unique bird belonging to the family of mergansers. It is easily recognizable due to its distinct crest, which can be raised or lowered at will.
During the breeding season, males have impressive plumage with various colors and patterns, making them stand out even more.
They live near streams, ponds, or marshes, feeding on aquatic insects, crustaceans, and small fish by diving in from above the water surface with their wings open before submerging entirely under it.
Their nesting habits involve using hollows created by other animals, such as beavers, to lay eggs inside tree cavities too close to water bodies to protect them from predators while providing them easy access to food sources.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae |
| Genus | Lophodytes Reichenbach, 1853 |
| Species | L. cucullatus |
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21. Short-Billed Dowitcher
The Short-billed Dowitcher is a medium-sized bird belonging to the family Scolopacidae. It has a stocky body and long bill, making it easy to identify in its habitat of North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America.
Its strong migratory nature takes them away from their breeding grounds during winter months when snow covers these areas.
This species prefers habitats like mudflats and estuaries where they can easily feed on worms or other invertebrates found there due to their long bills.
During summer, they are often seen gathering around wetlands in large flocks, which protect predators and an opportunity for breeding activities among them.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Scolopacidae |
| Genus | Limnodromus |
| Species | L. griseus |
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22. Brown Pelican
The majestic brown pelican is a dive-feeding bird that belongs to the pelican family. It is one of the three pelican species in the Americas and is known to dive into water to catch its prey.
This bird can be found from the Atlantic Coast of New Jersey to the mouth of the Amazon River, along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to northern Chile, including the Galapagos Islands.
Its scientific name is Pelecanus occidentalis, and it has a colored brown plumage, its distinct characteristic.
The brown pelican belongs to the most significant bird species today, with a wingspan that can stretch up to seven feet long.
This bird helps maintain a balance in the ecosystem by eating smaller fish, crustaceans, and other aquatic prey.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Pelecanidae |
| Genus | Pelecanus |
| Species | P. occidentalis |
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23. Lesser Scaup
The Lesser scaup is a small diving duck found in North America. In the winter months, these ducks migrate to Central America.
Their most remarkable feature is their blue bill, which has earned them colloquial names such as “little bluebill” and “broadbill.”
While it is unclear where their name “scaup” comes from, it is thought to originate from their preferred food source of scalp, a Scottish term for mollusks.
Despite being small, these ducks are skilled divers and can remain underwater for up to thirty seconds.
The Lesser Scaup is an important species to the ecosystem, as it helps to control the population of its prey species while providing food for predators in the area.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae |
| Genus | Aythya |
| Species | A. affinis |
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24. American Oystercatcher
The American oystercatcher, a member of the Haematopodidae family, is known for feeding on oysters. They were “sea pie” but were renamed in 1731 by naturalist Mark Catesby.
There are currently an estimated 43,000 American oystercatchers living in the wild. They are also referred to as the American pied oystercatcher or PiruPiru. With around 1,500 breeding pairs, these birds are considered a threatened species.
Known for their distinctive black and white plumage, American oystercatchers are often seen along the coastlines of North and South America.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Haematopodidae |
| Genus | Haematopus |
| Species | H. palliatus |
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Conclusion
Robert Island boasts diverse common bird species, contributing to its rich ecological tapestry. From the elegant flight of seagulls to the playful chirps of sparrows, this island provides a haven for avian life.
Observing these birds in their natural habitat offers residents and visitors a unique opportunity to connect with nature and appreciate the beauty of their surroundings.
Preserving the habitats that support these birds is crucial for maintaining biodiversity and ensuring future generations can continue to enjoy the wonder of these feathered inhabitants.