Birds · Charadriiformes · Stercorariidae

South Polar Skua

Stercorarius maccormicki

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The south polar skua is a predatory seabird that breeds on the Antarctic coasts, often beside the penguin colonies whose eggs and chicks it takes. It is an extraordinary migrant: outside the breeding season it travels as far as the North Atlantic and the North Pacific, crossing the entire planet. Birds have been recorded at the geographic South Pole and off Greenland.

Weight

1.3 kg – 1.4 kg

Size

50 cm – 55 cm

Lifespan

25 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

It is one of the very few birds observed at the geographic South Pole, and it also migrates in the austral winter as far as the waters of Greenland and Alaska: few species in the world cover such an enormous span of latitude.
Of its two eggs both chicks rarely survive: the elder usually attacks the younger systematically until it is gone, an obligate siblicide common in several seabirds.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Ice-free coasts and areas of Antarctica; in winter it migrates to the open sea of the northern hemisphere
Sexual maturity: 5 years
Gestation / incubation: 28 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stercorarius_maccormicki