These birds breed over most of the temperate zone areas around the world. Those birds that breed around the Atlantic Ocean may make long sea crossings to their wintering grounds in Africa. Birds leaving the southern tip of Greenland may not reach land fall until they reach Northern Spain a flight of about 1600 miles over the sea that takes about three days. Skuas are a small group of aerial birds looking somewhat like dark plumaged gulls but have a long tail. Skuas breed along the sea coasts and inland away from the sea and they breed on the bare ground at high altitudes and when they migrate they fly to the opposite hemisphere.
The Skua is a stout,brown bird about 21 inches tall with a short, thick beak. The main colors of the Skua are either dark or light brown on the top part of its body and a variable lighter color of brown on its chest and lower body parts. The legs of the Skua are short and its feet are webbed. When in flight its wings show a pale flash of white in the middle of its primary feathers. Its head has a dark cap and a pale colored chin and belly.
These are a fast, mobile and swooping bird in flight while foraging for food for themselves. Often you will see Skuas chasing other birds forcing them to drop their food. The Skuas are fast and mobile enough that when the other birds drop their food the Skuas catch the food in mid air. Because of this action sea going people called them, "Robber Gulls." They eat the eggs of other birds like penguin eggs and small mammals in the tundra like lemmings. Many of the birds feed at sea eating fish, barnacles formed on floating wood and garbage dumped by ships and in the autumn months they will eat berries.
The birds carry out spectacular aerial displays accompanied by staccato calls when they arrive on the breeding grounds. Then the pairs select a look out spot on a rock or mound somewhere near the nest site. Both partners take an active part in courtship displays like bowing to each other. The Skua being one of the biggest and darkest colored bird of the species, inhabits the North Atlantic yet, produces it young in southern lands almost to Antarctica.
Go To Page: 1 2
