The Arctic Skua
"Avian Pirates"
Classification Order
Reproductive Information
Arctic Skua Mound
This is where their eggs are laid the mound is composed of the guano
Arctic Skua Flying
The Arctic Skua's Style is Agile and it has to be able to steal food from its competitors
Arctic Skua Eggs
The Arctic Skua's Eggs are often laid in ones or twos and are around 2 inches long and 1.5 inches wide
Habitat
The Arctic Skua most commonly breeds/nests in the arctic tundra regions of the world. when not breeding this Bird is flying in the ocean. They are often found near rivers or near the coast.
Endangered Status
As of 2013 the Arctic Skua is considered as "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List
Size
Wingspan
46.5 inches
Mass
16 oz
Egg Size
2.3 by 1.7 inches
Egg Weight
1.7 oz
Evolutionary Relationship
The Arctic Skua is closely related to the:
(Stercorarius Skua)- |Great Skua|
(Stercorarius longicaudus)- |Long-Tailed Jaeger|
(Eudyptes chysolophus)- |Macaroni Penguin|
(Pygoscelis antarcticus)- |Chinstrap Penguin|
Diet
The Arctic Skua's diet normally consists of Scavenged food from other birds hence the name "Avian Pirates. While the Skua is able to find food of his own he has adapted to pressure energy by stealing it from others. The main supplements to the Skua's diet of scavenged marine life are berries and nuts. The draw back to the Skua's habit of stealing meals from other birds is that many of the frequently terrorized birds attack the skua to prevent further theft.