Scientists have known for several years that birds such as magpies, crows and mockingbirds can recognize individual people since these birds live in human-populated areas.

Now, a team of South Korean scientists has discovered that even birds living in remote areas, such as the brown skuas in Antarctica, have this ability as well.

Researcher Yeong-Deok Han said that he had to defend himself against the brown skuas' attack, adding the birds flew over him and tried to hit him when he was with other researchers. Moreover, in spite of changing his field clothes, they still followed him.

The researchers conducted several experiments, involving checking the birds' nests once a week to monitor their breeding status. The skuas attacked at closer distances with repeated visits of the researchers.

Brown skuas, which evolved and lived in human-free habitats, recognized individual humans just after three or four visits and seems to have high levels of cognitive abilities, lead researcher Dr. Won Young Lee said.

The study has been published in the journal Animal Cognition.