Fight for females: penguins started a "war" near the Ukrainian Antarctic station. Video

"Wars" have been spotted near the Ukrainian Antarctic station Akademik Vernadsky, where several thousand penguins nest. Male Adelie penguins have staged a fight to demonstrate their bravery to the females.

A unique video of the beaked dispute was filmed by the 29th UAE's system administrator Oleksandr Matsibura. The Ukrainian polar explorer posted the video on the National Antarctic Research Center's Facebook page.

Despite the fact that Adélie penguins are the smallest species of penguin in the Antarctic (an adult bird is only 70-73 cm tall), they are quite aggressive, scientists say.

Adelies are known to even defend themselves against much more powerful potential predators, such as seals or large seabirds.

"With the beginning of the mating season, male Adelie penguins want to prove themselves to females and may engage in a beak fight with a rival. In such a fight, both penguins lean forward and upwards, open their beaks and hit each other. And to protect their eyes, they squint them halfway," the Ukrainian polar explorers said.

During a fight, Adelies also make threatening noises to scare off their rivals.

Scientists have confirmed that males with aggressive behavior have more offspring.

OBOZ.UA previously wrote that the first egg was spotted near the Ukrainian Antarctic station.

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