The great skua (Stercorarius skua), sometimes known by the name bonxie in Britain, is a large seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. It is roughly the size of a herring gull. It mainly eats fish caught at the sea surface or taken from other birds.

Bulky, powerful, with wide wings, thick neck. Dark brown with white wing flash. Very much like South Polar Skua, but head and body typically all dark with heavy pale stripes. A harsh hah-hah-hah-hah; various quacking and croaking notes. Open ocean. Except during breeding season, usually far offshore, out of sight of land.

On average, a skua is about 56 cm (22 in) long, and 121 cm (48 in) across the wings. They have longish bills with a hooked tip, and webbed feet with sharp claws. They look like large dark gulls, but have a fleshy cere above the upper mandible. The skuas are strong, acrobatic fliers. They are generally aggressive in disposition.

2025年4月6日 · Skuas have a unique call that sounds like a harsh, grating "skua-skua," which they use to communicate with each other. Their plumage is typically brown or gray, providing excellent camouflage against rocky or icy backgrounds. Skuas have strong legs and webbed feet, allowing them to swim and dive efficiently.

2018年1月8日 · The South Polar Skua is famous for only two things: stealing penguin eggs and eating penguin chicks. What’s a bird to do with such a bad reputation? A closer look at the largest skua colony in the world—1,300 pairs breeding among 300,000 Adelie Penguin pairs at Cape Crozier , Ross Island, Antarctica—shows there’s much to admire in this ...

The Chilean skua, also called the cinnamon skua (Stercorarius chilensis), is a large predatory seabird, which breeds in Argentina and Chile, but ranges as far north as Brazil and Peru when not breeding. A relatively distinctive skua, it has a dark cap that …

Great skuas have been painted as villains, but is there a sweeter side to these predatory brutes? Here's all you need to know. Look at pictures of great skuas, and you can guess what these …

The Great Skua, scientifically known as Stercorarius skua, stands as a formidable member of the Skua family Stercorariidae, a regal avian monarch traversing the oceanic realms. Possessing an imposing stature, this avian giant effortlessly captures the gaze of any fortunate observer, unveiling a mesmerizing spectacle of nature’s grandeur.

2024年5月27日 · Learn all there is to know about this intimidating group of birds, including where you can find them, how they eat, and how they defend their nests. Skuas are found on the sea coasts of all continents. They are long-distance migrants, …

The Arctic skua is a medium-sized, graceful skua with long, pointed wings and a deep, rounded belly resembling a falcon in flight. It is the most abundant Arctic breeding skua, hence its common name. There are three adult plumage forms: dark, pale and intermediate, each with highly variable breeding, non-breeding, juvenile and immature plumages ...