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Great Skua Stercorarius skua [Brünnich, 1764]
Other Names
Trends & Distribution
Breeding & Survival
Biometrics
Books & Links
Order:
Charadriiformes
Family:
Stercorariidae
BTO Codes:
NX, GRESK
EURING No:
5690
Number in Britain:
9600 pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK:
AMBER
European:
Not a species of concern
Global:
Least Concern
Links to: Images
Videos
Sound
Status in UK:
(A) Migrant Breeder, Passage Visitor
Subspecies:
Monotypic
.
Length:
56 cm
Wingspan:
136 cm
Weight:
M: 1.3 kg F: 1.5 kg
Scientific name from:
L.: stercus =dung + -arius =belonging to
and Faroëse: skuvur =Great Skua
World Distribution:
BREEDS: n Scotland, Faeroes & Iceland, WINTERS: n Atlantic south to n South America
Habitat:
Seacoast & moor, in winter seacoasts
Diet:
Mostly fish, obtained from sea, scavenging or by piracy
TitBit:
The Shetland name for this bird, Bonxie, possibly derives from a old Norse word (bunki =dumpy) referring to its heavy-set build, but also seems to accurately sum up its habit of viciously dive-bombing anyone unwary enough to appraoch to close to its
nest
Population and Distribution
Population Trend:
No population trend available
Distribution:
New Atlas )
British Population Size:
Summer:
9634 pairs
in 1998-02
First Record:
1666
First Breeding Record:
Shetland late 1700s
Latest Survey:
Mitchell, P.I. et al. (2004) Seabird populations of Britain and Ireland Poyser, London
Conservation Status:
AMBER
because
Localised Breeding Population,
Important Breeding Population
Previous Assessments:
2002-2007
AMBER
1996-2001
AMBER
Races of Concern:
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
Summer:
16 to 16 thousand pairs
Birds in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
Bern(III)
Survey Results:
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
70 x 50 mm
Egg Weight:
91.0 g (of which 7 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
10
Clutch Size:
2 eggs
Incubation:
26- 32 days
by the:
Male + Female
Fledging:
40 - 51days
as:
Altricial, downy
First Clutches Laid:
Unavailable
Number of Broods:
1
Number Ringed:
1627
Adult Survival:
0.888
± 0.006
Juvenile Survival:
0.800 (in First-Year)
Age at First Breeding:
7
years
Typical Lifespan:
15
years
Maximum Recorded Age:
32yr 11m
Biometrics
Ring Size:
H
Wing Length
Adult:
Insufficient Data.
Juvenile:
Insufficient Data.
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Weight
Adult:
Insufficient Data.
Juvenile:
Insufficient Data.
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Other Names
Previously Catharacta skua
Gaelic:
Fŕsgadair-mňr
Welsh:
Sgiwen Fawr
Danish:
Storkjove
Dutch:
Grote Jager
Finnish:
Isokihu
French:
Grand Labbe
German:
Skua
Hungarian:
Nagy halfarkas
Icelandic:
Skúmur
Irish:
Meirleach Mór
Italian:
Stercorario maggiore
Norwegian:
Storjo
Polish:
Skua (wydrzyk wielki)
Portuguese:
Moleiro-grande
Spanish:
Págalo grande
Swedish:
Storlabb
Local Names: Bonxie
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Hamer, K.C. 2001 BWP Update 3:91-110
Furness, R.W. 1987 The skuas Poyser, Calton
[598.614 FUR]
Olsen, K.M. & Larsson, H. 1997 Skuas and Jaegers Pica Press, Sussex
[598.614 OLS]
See Also:
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
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