South Polar Skua

Adventure step • Meet the species

Overview

The South Polar Skua (Stercorarius maccormicki) is a robust and bold seabird that breeds on the Antarctic continent and winters in the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans. It occurs in three color morphs ranging from pale whitish-buff to dark brown, but is always identified by its distinctive white wing flash at the base of the primary feathers. It is a highly opportunistic predator and kleptoparasite, known for stealing food from other seabirds such as penguins, petrels, and albatrosses. During the breeding season it aggressively defends its territory, dive-bombing any intruder including human researchers. Outside the breeding season it leads a highly pelagic existence far from land across the world's oceans.