About the South Polar Skua
The south polar skua is a large seabird in the skua family, Stercorariidae. An older name for the bird is MacCormick's skua, after explorer and naval surgeon Robert McCormick, who first collected the type specimen. This species and the other large skuas, such as the great skua, are sometimes placed in a separate genus Catharacta.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The south polar skua is a large bird (though small compared to other skuas sometimes placed in Catharacta) that measures around 53 cm (21 in) in length. Adults are greyish brown above, and have a whitish (pale morph) or straw-brown (intermediate morph) head and underparts, and the contrast between head and body makes it easy to separate from similar species with good views. Juveniles and adult dark morphs are harder to distinguish from their relatives, and more subjective or difficult-to-observe criteria, such as the colder brown plumage and blue bill base, must be used.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the South Polar Skua sounds like
Where the South Polar Skua lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in India, United Kingdom, Argentina, Chile, Taiwan, Panama, Ecuador, Mauritius, South Korea, Sri Lanka, France, Micronesia, Guatemala, Martinique, Russia, Solomon Islands, Tonga.
When to see the South Polar Skua
Peak activity in September · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Chilean SkuaStercorarius chilensisChilean skuas tend to be dark on their back, flanks, and cheeks, and uniformly light underneath.
Brown SkuaStercorarius antarcticusThis 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.
Great SkuaStercorarius skuaGreat skuas measure 50–58 cm (20–23 in) long and have a 125–140 cm (49–55 in) wingspan.
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