Birds · Charadriiformes · Stercorariidae

Great Skua

Stercorarius skua

Least Concern

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

The great skua is a robust, brownish predatory gull-like seabird, with very visible white patches at the base of the primaries. It lives by kleptoparasitism, chasing gannets and gulls until they drop their catch, and also by preying directly on puffins, storm petrels and the chicks of other seabirds. It defends its nest by diving at any intruder, people included. The avian flu of 2021 and 2022 hit its Scottish colonies hard.

Weight

1.7 kg – 1.9 kg

Size

50 cm – 58 cm

Lifespan

30 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 a professional pirate: it chases a gannet far larger than itself, grabs it by the wing or the tail and harries it until it regurgitates its fish, which the skua then catches in mid-air.
It dive-bombs anyone who approaches its nest, human beings included, and in Iceland and Scotland walkers are advised to hold a stick above their head during the breeding season.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: The open North Atlantic; breeds on coastal bogs and grassland in Iceland, Scotland and Norway
Sexual maturity: 6 years
Gestation / incubation: 29 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

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