Brown Skua
Stercorarius antarcticus
Data DeficientAves · Charadriiformes · Stercorariidae
About
The brown skua, also known as the Antarctic skua, Subantarctic skua, southern great skua, southern skua, or hākoakoa (Māori), is a large seabird that breeds in the subantarctic and Antarctic zones and moves farther north when not breeding. Its taxonomy is highly complex and a matter of dispute, with some splitting it into two or three species: Falkland skua, Tristan skua, and subantarctic skua. To further confuse, it hybridizes with both the south polar and Chilean skuas, and the entire group has been considered to be a subspecies of the great skua, a species otherwise restricted to the Northern Hemisphere.
Fun Fact
This is the heaviest species of skua and rivals the largest gulls, the great black-backed gull and glaucous gull, as the heaviest species in the shorebird order although not as large in length or wingspan.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Restricted to the Northern Hemisphere.
Diet
Feeds on fish (often via kleptoparasitism), penguin chicks and other seabirds, small mammals, eggs and carrion.
Lifespan
To be updated
Threats
- Habitat Change
- Human Disturbance