Page 205 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

SKUAS, GULLS,AND TERNS
Order Charadriiformes Family Stercorariidae Species Stercorarius pomarinus
Pomarine Skua thick bill with
pink-brown base
black cap
white
flash
brown
breast-band
brown
spoon- back
like tail
blunt
tail ADULT IN FLIGHT ADULT
(DARK FORM) (PALE FORM)
brown white underside
body
broad bars
under tail
blunt,
twisted
tail
grey legs

JUVENILE (AUTUMN; ADULT (SUMMER; PALE FORM)
DARK FORM)
omarine Skuas breed in the far north and so are seldom seen in
PEurope in summer, but in spring small groups of adults pass by FLIGHT: direct flight steady, strong, straight;
southern and western headlands in a short, concentrated migration; wingbeats smooth and powerful; piracy involves fast,
in autumn, larger numbers can be seen around west European coasts active chase.
over a period of many weeks.These AUTUMN MIGRANT
migrants, however, tend to be widely Tired migrants after gales may rest
scattered and often far offshore, and on beaches and forage for food
it usually needs a good onshore like gulls.
wind to bring some within easy
range of a birdwatcher ashore.
VOICE Usually silent away from
breeding sites.
NESTING Shallow scrape on open
ground in Arctic tundra; 2 eggs;
1 brood; June.
FEEDING Eats lemmings and
seabirds in summer; otherwise fish,
stolen from other birds, and offal.
OCCURRENCE
SIMILAR SPECIES Breeds in extreme NE Europe. On
passage mostly found in North Sea
GREAT SKUA and Atlantic. Occurs in variable
smaller and see p.202
slimmer numbers: usually scarce; at times
concentrated movements in
pale spring; occasional larger, more
upperwings prolonged influxes in late autumn
bigger, with dark tip to North Sea; very few in winter.
broader-
ARCTIC SKUA winged HERRING GULL Seen in the UK
see p.204 immature; see p.209 J F M A M JJ AS O N D
Length 46–51cm (18–20in) Wingspan 1.13–1.25m (3 3 ⁄4 –4ft) Weight 550–900g (20–32oz)
Social Small flocks Lifespan 10–15 years Status Secure†
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