Skua (original) (raw)

The skuas are seabirds in the family Stercorariidae. The smaller skuas are called jaegers in North America.

Skuas nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.

Outside the breeding season they take fish, offal and carrion. Many are partial parasites, chasing gulls, terns and other seabirds to steal their catches. They are strong, acrobatic fliers.

On the breeding grounds they will eat lemmings, and the eggs and young of other birds.

They look like large dark gulls, but have a fleshy cere above the upper mandible. They have predatory hooked beaks and sharp claws.

They are in general medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They have longish bills and webbed feet.

skuas are related to gulls, waders, auks and skimmers. The two skua genera are often merged into one, _Stercorarius_The

Charadriiformes

• Suborder Charadrii: The waders.
• Suborder Lari
  • Family Laridae (gulls)
  • Family Sternidae (terns)
  • Family Stercorariidae
    * Genus Stercorarius: Small skuas.
    * Arctic Skua or Parasitic Jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus
    * Pomarine Skua or Pomarine Jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus
    * Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus
    * Genus Catharactus: Large skuas.
    * Chilean Skua, Catharacta chilensis
    * South Polar Skua, Catharacta maccormicki
    * Brown Skua, Catharacta antarctica
    * Great Skua Catharactus skua
  • Family Rhynchopidae (skimmers)
• Suborder Alcae: The auks.