What is a Skua?
A skua is a large predatory sea bird. They look similar to a large gull but are mostly dark-coloured, mostly grey or brown. In some countries, they are called Jaegers instead of Skua. Jaeger is the German word for “hunter”.
Species and Range
There are seven species of Skua. Skuas are primarily found in the sub-Antarctic zone. Moslty on islands north of Antarctica, although a few species can be found further north.
The Chilian Skua can be found along the west coast of South America from Peru to the tip of the continent and a bit on the other side in Argentina.
Like most skuas, the South Polar Skua breeds in the sub-Antarctic. However, this species migrates to the North Atlantic and the North Pacific during winter. You will unlikely see them there, as they stay mostly far from shore.
Unlike most Skuas, the Great Skua is not a sub-Antarctic bird. They live in the North Atlantic. They breed in Iceland, Norway and many small islands off the coast of northern UK and Ireland.
The Pomarine Skua (aka Pmarine Jaeger) breeds in the Arctic of Canada, Alaska, and Russia. During winter, they can be found almost anywhere in the world, but usually far from shore.
The Arctic Skua (aka Parasitic Jaeger) is a migratory bird. The breed is in the Arctic of Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia. During winter, they migrate south to the southern coasts of South America, Africa, Australa and New Zeland
The Long-tailed Skua (aka Long-tailed Jaeger) is another migratory species. They breed in the Arctic in the same places as the Arctic Skua, but they migrate further souith to sub-Antarctic Islands north of Antarctica.
The Brown Sku is strictly a sub-Antarctic species. They do not migrate. They can be fouind in the southern tip of South America and Africa, the south coast of Australia and many islands such as New Zealand and the Falkland Islands.
Aggression
Five percent of Skua’s food comes from scavenging offal and carrion. The other 95 percent comes from attacking gulls, terns, and other seabirds and stealing their food.
Not only do they steal food from other birds, but they will also kill and eat birds such as puffins and gulls. They are known to attack birds up to three times their size.
They also steal and eat eggs and chicks of other birds, primarily penguins.
Where to see a Skua
One place to observe skuas is in their breeding areas, such as Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and islands off the north coast of Scotland. There are many other locations, but most are remote and challenging to reach, such as the Canadian Arctic and Siberia.
A better place to look for Skuas is around Penguin colonies. Wherever there are penguins, there are sure to be skuas nearby.
Eating a Penguin
Here is a photo of a Brown Skua eating a penguin. I took this photo in the Falkland Islands. Skuas often eat penguin eggs and chicks. They do not usually attack adult penguins but will do so if the penguin is sick or injured.