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What Birds Live in Antarctica?
Antarctica is home to 63 recorded bird species, with an estimated 100 million breeding birds living on the white continent. The most common birds in Antarctica include penguins, albatrosses, cape petrels, Antarctic skuas, gulls, terns, and shearwaters. Nine bird species breed in Antarctica, and other birds migrate there during the summer.
Antarctica is a penguin-lover’s paradise. There are seven species of penguins in total, including emperor penguins, king penguins and adélie penguins (which live and breed exclusively in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean).
The region is also home to several albatross species, including the iconic wandering albatross, many skuas, petrels, and fulmars, and the Arctic tern, which migrates from the Arctic to Antarctica. Rare bird species in Antarctica include the rare dark penguin and the Gould’s petrel.
Few places offer such incredible opportunities for birdwatching and appreciating such diverse species endemic to Antarctica. You’ll find birds here that you won’t be able to see anywhere else on Earth.
If you are interested in visiting Antarctica, here at Polar Escapes, you can search for and book the largest selection of Antarctica cruises and birdwatching tours and get free expert advice to help you plan your expedition.
Based on our years of experience exploring Antarctica, here is a list of Antarctica birds you may see on your expedition cruise.
1. Emperor Penguin (and six other species of penguins)
There are 18 species of penguins in the southern hemisphere, 7 of which are found in Antarctica. The emperor penguin is the largest of all penguin species, reaching 1.3m in height and weighing 23kg.
They are true Antarctic penguins, but they are spotted much less frequently on the South Shetland Islands and are seen mainly on the Antarctic mainland. Their population is under threat, and there are currently only around 200,000 breeding pairs in the region.
Other penguins you might spot in Antarctica include Adélie penguins (endemic to Antarctica), gentoos, chinstraps, macaroni, and rockhoppers, mainly living on the sub-Antarctic islands.
To discover all of Antarctica’s Penguin’s please see our Guide to Antarctica Penguins.
2. Wandering Albatross
Also known as the snowy albatross and the white-winged albatross – these magnificent seabirds have the largest wingspan of any bird on the planet.
Their wings can measure up to 3.5m and travel up to 500 miles in a single day. Their large wings enable them to fly with minimal glamping so that they can conserve valuable energy.
Wandering albatrosses can also live for a long time, up to 50 years and have no real natural predators. Expeditions to Antarctica offer a fantastic opportunity to see them swooping over the bays and sea.
3. Southern Royal Albatross
Commonly spotted in Antarctica and second only in size to the wandering albatross, the southern royal albatross also has a large wingspan of 3m.
They’re a noisy bunch, attracting mates through sky calls, bill-snapping, gulping, and clapping. Southern royal albatrosses can be found nesting on tussock grasslands and ridges.
4. Black-browed Albatross
Also known as ‘mollymawks,’ the migratory black-browed albatross can be most commonly found on the Falkland Islands, which is home to 70% of the species, South Georgia Island, and Antarctica.
Black-browed albatrosses are a smaller species, although seeing their dark wings gliding above ships is still impressive.
5. Light-mantled Albatross
These small ashy-grey albatrosses are solitary birds. They often fly solo at sea, following fishing trawlers to steal from.
Light-mantled albatrosses build their nests on cliff faces or ledges to shelter them from harsh winds. Their stomachs produce a smelling oil that they use to spray predators.
They’re better in the air than on land, sometimes touching down so fast that they fall over.
6. Antarctic Petrel
This dark brown and white seabird is commonly spotted in Antarctica, particularly in the Ross and Weddell seas. Antarctic petrels nest on snow-free cliffs and frock faces and sometimes even roost on icebergs.
During October and November, they breed in large colonies of up to 200,000 pairs and are a species of least concern.
7. Snow Petrel
As the name suggests, the snow-white petrel is an all-white bird and an abundant species in Antarctica. They can often be spotted in flocks on pack ice, icebergs, and ice floes.
Snow petrels also nest in colonies on cliffs but on the coast and inland. You can spot them flying low over the water as they mainly eat fish, squid and molluscs.
They’re harder to spot in the air, as they fly high in the air, trying to avoid predators, including south-polar skuas.
Snow Petrels are one of only three bird species found at the South Pole; they breed on the Antarctic continent and surrounding islands.
8. Blue Petrel
Blue petrels spend most of their time at sea (which makes them pelagic), only returning to shore to breed. They can be spotted by the blue-grey feathers, dark masks around the eyes, and a distinctive ‘M’ marking across their backs.
They’re excellent divers, reaching depths of 6m, but they also scour the water’s surface, helped out by whales driving prey fish closer enough to steal.
9. Black-bellied Storm Petrel
Another common petrel species in Antarctica is its belly, which has a large white strip that contrasts with its darker feathers elsewhere.
Black-bellied storm petrels are relatively small and tend to fly solo as they glide over the sea.
By contrast, they’re pretty noisy within breeding colonies, often communicating with high-pitched whistles.
10. Wilson’s Storm Petrel
Tiny but mighty, Wilson’s storm petrels are small but incredibly hardy seabirds. They’re the smallest bird to breed in Antarctica, but despite their small size (slightly bigger than swallows), they’re very well adapted to the region’s harsh conditions.
They fly through troughs of waves to act as barriers against stormy winds and glide across the oceans looking for plankton, helped along by the movement of baleen whales.
11. Southern Giant Petrel
Large in size and aggressive in nature, giant petrels have quite the reputation. They’re also known as the vultures of the southern ocean – often preying on other seabirds, such as injured adult penguins, or attacking vulnerable chicks.
They’re divided into two sub-species, northern and southern, with the latter being slightly larger, reaching 180-210cm.
Southern giant petrels have large, dark wings, pink-red necks and large, bulbous bills.
12. South Georgia Diving Petrel
Naturally, South Georgia is a prime location for spotting this lot. But the South Georgia diving petrel can also be spotted in the Falklands and Antarctica. They’re small, with chunky bones and short, broad wings.
They appear similar to common diving petrels but tend to stick close to their breeding colonies.
13. Common Diving Petrel
Other small, common diving petrels are almost identical to South Georgia petrels. One key difference is their brown inner feathers (in contrast with the South Georgia petrel’s lighter inner feathers)
Unlike many seabirds, common diving petrels don’t glide; their flight is low and fast and is characterised by rapid wingbeats. They can be found in large flocks, sometimes into the thousands. But you’re more likely to spot them from a ship than ashore.
14. Mottled Petrel
The grey and white mottled petrel closely resembles the sooty shearwater. It’s another pelagic bird that spends most of its time at sea in search of fish and squid.
When the mottled petrel does come to shore, it nests in burrows and rocky crevices, and it’s the only gadfly petrel that can be seen as far south as the Antarctic.
15. White-chinned Petrel
Commonly found in the Southern Ocean, they appear darker than their name suggests.
White-chinned petrels are covered in dark feathers, with a small amount of white on their chins and light-coloured bills. They also breed commonly in South Georgia and can be found in the Falklands.
16. Great Shearwater
These birds are fairly nomadic, migrating thousands of miles from their South Atlantic breeding groups to the North Atlantic when they’re not breeding.
They are large seabirds and great divers, reaching depths of up to 70 metres and diving for fish, squid, and occasionally crustaceans. Great shearwaters also follow fishing boats and loudly cry when resting in flocks on the water.
17. Sooty Shearwater
Another far-travelling migratory bird, sooty shearwaters, can cover more than 1200 miles annually.
They travel from their breeding colonies in the Antarctic to their northerly feeding grounds in the Arctic.
18. Southern Fulmar
Also known as Antarctic fulmars or silver-grey fulmars, Southern fulmars are common to Antarctica but migrate further north to Chile during winter.
They can be spotted from ships, as they often follow them in large flocks looking to scavenge and feed.
19. Antarctic Prion
The largest of the prion species, Antarctic prions are common to the islands close to Antarctica and South Georgia.
Antarctic prions are also known as dove prions and ‘whale birds’ due to their tendency to sift for plankton near baleen whales. They have a large M across their backs and nest in large colonies.
20. Slender-billed Prion
Because of their sharp, slender bills that help them filter zooplankton, slender-billed prions are a thriving species.
Their population is estimated to be around 7 million, despite the fact that they are the thinnest and least hardy of all the prions.
21. Fairy prion
Fairy prions are also slight seabirds almost as abundant as their slender-billed relatives. Delicate in name and size, they fly over the seas daily and coo gently to their mates to signal their return at night.
It has a thriving and stable population and is typically found near the shore of coastal regions.
22. Antarctic Shag
Also known as the king cormorant, imperial shag, blue-eyed shag or Antarctic cormorant. It’s the only cormorant species that live in the Antarctic.
They live in the region all year round and can be spotted by the bright blue rings around their eyes and yellow patches above their bills. Antarctic shags dive to depths of up to 60m.
23. Rock Shag
A small, cormorant species – rock shags are commonly found along rocky coastal areas.
They have distinctive red markings above their bills and small feathery tufts sticking up at their heads’ tops.
24. South Georgia Shag
Similar in shape to the blue-eyed shag but is slightly longer. As the name suggests, it’s endemic to South Georgia but can also be found in Antarctica. Adults have dark, deep-blue feathers, blue-ringed eyes, and pink feet.
25. Brown Skua
There are several subspecies of brown skua, including subantarctic skua, Antarctica skua, and Tristan skua.
Brown skuas are large brown birds spotted following boats, like other opportunistic sea birds. Their diet consists of fish, carrion, penguins, and smaller seabirds. Brown Skuas are the heaviest skua species, weighing around 5 pounds.
26. South Polar Skua
Keeping your distance is always advised, but this is particularly important regarding south polar skuas. They’re known for being incredibly protective of their nests and will attack any creature or human that gets too close.
Skuas are a fierce and formidable breed of seabirds. Brown skuas are one of the larger species, and one method of attack involves dive bombing while screeching.
27. Antarctic Tern
It is similar in appearance to the Arctic tern but has some key distinguishing features. Antarctic terns have grey wingtips (instead of black) and have a slightly stockier build.
Another critical difference is that the Antarctic tern is not migratory and can be found in rocky areas such as islets, often nestled among other seabirds.
28. Arctic Tern
Although native to the Arctic, Arctic terns are migratory, so they travel to Antarctica after the winter breeding season. Arctic terns cover an incredible distance of around 25,000 miles each year.
Like Skuas, Terns are also (quite rightly) fiercely protective of their colonies. Don’t underestimate the relatively small Arctic tern; even polar bears have been known to retreat when attacked because they have very sharp beaks.
29. Kelp Gull
The only species of gull found in Antarctica, the kelp gull, is also known as the Dominican gull or the southern gull and can often be spotted on a cruise to Antarctica.
Kelp gulls look similar to the abundant gull species that live further north. They have dark wings, white bodies, and a distinctive orange spot on their bills.
30. South Georgia Pipit
Rounding off our list, we have the Antarctic’s only songbird. South Georgia pipits are tiny, around the size of a sparrow and are the southernmost songbirds in the world.
They can be found on beaches, feeding small insects and foraging around the debris that washes on the sand.
Adaptations, Distribution and Habitats of Antarctic Birds
Antarctica birds have evolved and adapted to endure the harshest conditions in one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth.
So, what adaptations allow them to not only survive such extreme conditions but thrive in them? Well, one key adaptation is their plumage—several Antarctic birds, including snow petrels, have waterproof feathers.
The feathers are adapted to wick water away from the body so they can dry quickly. Their plumage also provides vital insulation from the coldest of temperatures.
Antarctica birds have also adapted to store and conserve vital energy; for example, the wandering albatross can glide for hours using only minimal energy as it hunts. Penguins can also slow their metabolism and last long periods without food. Even breeding patterns have adapted to Antarctica, with many species, such as petrels, nesting on rocky cliffs and isolated islands, where they’re less vulnerable to predators and harsh conditions.
In terms of distribution, Antarctic birds can be found on the Antarctic Peninsula, surrounding islands, and in the Southern Ocean. Trips to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands offer the opportunity to witness key habits of Antarctica’s thriving and diverse birds.
Conservation and Threats to Antarctic Birds
Climate change poses a major threat to many Antarctic bird species due to habitat destruction and high levels of pollution. Seabirds are among the most globally threatened bird species.
Wandering albatrosses are currently listed as vulnerable, as they also get entangled in fishing nets.
Snow petrels are another species facing environmental threats, as climate change harms their breeding habits and food supply.
However, conservation efforts are dedicated to protecting Antarctic birds and wildlife. All plants and animals in Antarctica are protected under the Antarctic Treaty, which was established in 1961
When is the best time to visit Antarctica to go birdwatching?
The best time of year for birdwatching in Antarctica is during the Antarctic spring, which begins in late October or early November. This is when migratory birds emerge from hibernation and arrive south once more.
If you would like to learn more about animals in Antarctica please check out our guide Wildlife of Antarctica.
Join A Birdwatching Cruise in Antarctica
Do you have your bird checklist ready?
At Polar Escapes we are experts in travelling to Antarctica. Please see our Antarctica cruises and tours to plan your birdwatching expedition to Antarctica.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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