Bonxie
The Great skua (Stercorarius skua) is a large seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. It mainly eats fish caught at the sea surface or taken from other birds. The Great skua is sometimes known by the name bonxie in Britain.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
No
NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Sc
ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
Co
CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Ov
OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Pr
PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Se
SeabirdSeabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, b...
Se
SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
Te
TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Ap
Apex predatorAn apex predator, also known as a top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain and has no natural predators. These animals usually occup...
So
Soaring birdsSoaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
Mo
MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
So
SocialCo
ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
Mi
MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
G
starts withAdult Great skuas are a streaked greyish brown, with a black cap, while juveniles are a warmer brown and unstreaked below. They have a short, blunt tail, and a powerful flight. Despite their name, Great skuas are marginally smaller on average than the other 3 large southern-hemisphere skuas, although not by enough to distinguish them by size in the field.
Great skuas breed in Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, and on Scottish islands, with some individuals breeding on mainland Scotland and in the northwest of Ireland. They nest on coastal moorland and rocky islands. Great skuas are migrating birds; they winter at sea in the Atlantic Ocean and regularly reach North American waters.
Great skuas are usually solitary when at sea but may gather in groups where food is abundant. They are aerial apex predators and are aggressive pirates of the seas. They usually feed by day and often obtain fish by robbing gulls, terns, and even northern gannets of their catches. They will also directly attack and kill other seabirds, up to the size of Herring gulls. Using night vision gear, skuas were also observed preying on the petrels at night, a remarkable strategy for a seabird. Due to their size, aggressive nature, and fierce defence of their nest, Great skuas have little to fear from other predators. They also show little to no fear of humans - anybody getting close to their nest will be repeatedly dive-bombed by the angry adults. The Great skua's call is a harsh 'hah-hah-hah-hah'; they also make quacking and croaking noises.
Great skuas are carnivores and scavengers. They eat mainly fish, birds, eggs, carrion, offal, rodents, rabbits, and occasionally berries. They may even prey on lambs and even pony foals. Probably their most prolific food source is by-catch abandoned by fishing vessels.
Great skuas are monogamous and usually form pairs that remain together for life. They nest in loose colonies but pairs are very territorial and return to their previous nesting sites year after year. The breeding season typically starts in May. Female Great skuas lay 2 spotted olive-brown eggs in grass-lined nests which are incubated for 28-32 days. Chicks are precocial; they are covered with dawn and leave the nest 24-48 hours after hatching. They start to fly 40-50 days later and become reproductively mature at 7-8 years of age.
There are no major threats facing this species at present.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Great skua is 30,000-34,999 mature individuals. The breeding population in Europe consists of 16,300-17,200 pairs. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...