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Great Skua

©Margaret Holland

Great skua

A fierce pirate of the sea, the great skua is renowned for stealing fish from other seabirds and dive-bombing anyone that comes near its nests. It breeds on the Scottish Isles.

Scientific name

Stercorarius skua

When to see

April to September

Species information

Category

Statistics

Length: 53-58cm
Wingspan: 125-140cm
Weight: 1.2-2kg
Average lifespan: 15 years
Classified in the UK as Red following a 2024 update to the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021).

About

Great skuas are large seabirds, about the same size as herring gulls. They are pirates of the sea: chasing other seabirds, such as gannets and gulls, and stealing the fish they have caught. They also eat smaller birds, such as puffins, and are known to be very aggressive at their breeding grounds - dive-bombing anyone who gets close to their nests. Great skuas winter off the Spanish and African Atlantic coasts.

How to identify

The great skua is our largest skua. It is dark brown, with streaks of gold, and a dark cap and thick bill. It shows broad flashes of white on its wings when it flies.

Distribution

Nests on the moorlands of Scottish islands, but can be seen around the coast during spring and autumn migration.

Did you know?

The great skua is also known as the 'bonxie'. This local name was probably derived from an old Norse word meaning 'dumpy' and referred to the shape and size of the bird.