Birds · Charadriiformes · Stercorariidae

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Least Concern

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

The Arctic skua is a slender, agile predatory seabird with two elongated, pointed central tail feathers. It owes its name to its way of life: it chases terns, gulls and puffins through dizzying aerobatics until they drop or regurgitate their catch, which it takes in mid-air. It breeds on the Arctic tundra and spends the rest of the year at sea, including off the Spanish coast on passage.

Weight

300 g – 650 g

Size

41 cm – 48 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 specialist kleptoparasite: it chases terns and gulls with extraordinary agility, matching every turn of its victim until it drops its catch, and takes it in mid-air before it hits the water.
Two colour morphs, pale and dark, occur in the same population, and their proportions vary with latitude: dark birds predominate in the south and pale ones in the high Arctic.
In the Arctic it defends its nest by diving at foxes, reindeer and people, striking the intruder's head with its feet.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Arctic tundra for breeding; the open sea of every ocean outside the breeding season
Sexual maturity: 3.3 years
Gestation / incubation: 26 days
Litter / clutch size: 2

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/