QUESTION:
Does hail or sleet hurt the birds on the continent of Antarctica?
Do they hibernate there?

        Mrs. Baker's Second Grade Bird Research Group
        Jessica, Michelle, Thomas, Jared, Nate and Rocco 
        Fyle Elementary School
        Rochester, NY

ANSWER from Donna Patterson, Research Assistant
            Bill Fraser's Team
            Palmer Station, Antarctica
            Mon, 7 Apr 1997 14:24:18 -0500

Hello  Jessica, Michelle, Thomas, Jared, Nate and Rocco 

On the Antarctic Peninsula, the number of hail or sleet storms that 
we have is not very many during a typical summer.  These storms do 
not seem to hurt the birds in any way, although small chicks can 
become chilled once they get soaked from rain.   When we have 
blizzards here, the birds settle down on to their nests and just wait 
it out.  Sometimes there is so much snow that you will see a penguin 
that looks like it is sitting in a deep hole, when actually it has 
remained on it's nest.   The birds here are adapted to live in this 
environment, so their feathers and bodies can deal with storms and 
sleet or hail pretty well.  

 
No, there are no birds that hibernate here.  Most species will 
migrate to another area where they can find a dependable food 
resource.  For example, the Adelie penguins that nest around Palmer 
Station (on the Antarctic Peninsula) leave their colonies after the 
breeding season and will winter near  sea ice concentrations, most 
likely about 250 miles to the south of here.   Other species, such as 
the Southern Giant Petrel, will leave the breeding areas and go north 
where they are commonly seen around Australia and South Africa.   On 
one occasion, a South Polar skua that was banded here as a chick was 
seen in Greenland approximately four months later.  

Thanks for your question!

Donna