Brown Skua
Stercorarius antarcticus
The Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus) is a rare jaegers and skua found in 18 countries. The brown skua, also known as the Antarctic skua, Subantarctic skua, southern great skua, southern skua, or hākoakoa (Māori), is a large seabird that breeds in the subantarctic and Antarctic zones and moves farther north when not breeding.
About the Brown Skua
The brown skua, also known as the Antarctic skua, Subantarctic skua, southern great skua, southern skua, or hākoakoa (Māori), is a large seabird that breeds in the subantarctic and Antarctic zones and moves farther north when not breeding. Its taxonomy is highly complex and a matter of dispute, with some splitting it into two or three species: Falkland skua, Tristan skua, and subantarctic skua. To further confuse, it hybridizes with both the south polar and Chilean skuas, and the entire group has been considered to be a subspecies of the great skua, a species otherwise restricted to the Northern Hemisphere.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This is the heaviest species of skua and rivals the largest gulls, the great black-backed gull and glaucous gull, as the heaviest species in the shorebird order although not as large in length or wingspan. It is 52–64 cm (20–25 in) in length, 126–160 cm (50–63 in) in wingspan and has a body mass of 1.2–2.18 kg (2.6–4.8 lb). S. a. hamiltoni measured on Gough Island, weighed an average of 1.43 kg (3.2 lb) in 9 males and 1.65 kg (3.6 lb) in 9 females. S. a. lonnbergi measured in the Chatham Islands weighed an average of 1.73 kg (3.8 lb) in 30 males and an average of 1.93 kg (4.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in India, Mayotte, Oman, Sri Lanka.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, July, October, November, December, with peak activity in December. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Brown Skua?
- This is the heaviest species of skua and rivals the largest gulls, the great black-backed gull and glaucous gull, as the heaviest species in the shorebird order although not as large in length or wingspan. Full identification notes are on this page.
- Where can you see a Brown Skua?
- The Brown Skua occurs in 18 countries, including the Falkland Islands, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina.
- What birds look similar to a Brown Skua?
- The Brown Skua is most easily confused with the South Polar Skua, the Chilean Skua and the Great Skua.
- Is the Brown Skua endangered?
- The Brown Skua is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Brown Skua for real
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