Illustration © David Allen Sibley.
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Text © Kenn Kaufman, adapted from
Lives of North American Birds
Adult. Photo: Tom Benson/Flickr (CC BY NC ND 2.0)
South Polar Skua
Stercorarius maccormicki
| Conservation status | Numbers apparently stable. Except near a few Antarctic research stations, the haunts of the species are usually remote from the impacts of human activities. |
|---|---|
| Family | Skuas and Jaegers |
| Habitat | Open ocean. Ranges widely at sea, over both warm and very cold waters. Appears far off North American coast where there are concentrations of other birds from which to steal food. Almost never seen from shore on this continent. Nests in Antarctica, on islands and mainland, on barren ground. |
Photo Gallery
Photo gallery
Feeding Behavior
Forages at sea by plunging into water from flight, or by seizing items while sitting on surface. Often steals food from other seabirds: may grab a shearwater or gull with its bill and shake the other bird violently to make it disgorge its catch.
Eggs
Two, sometimes one. Olive to brown, blotched with darker brown. Incubation is by both sexes, but female does more. Incubation period 24-34 days, usually 28-29. Young: Both parents feed young, by regurgitation. Young may leave nest soon after hatching, wander in immediate vicinity. Although both eggs usually hatch, usually only one young survives to fledging. Age at first flight 49-59 days.
Young
Both parents feed young, by regurgitation. Young may leave nest soon after hatching, wander in immediate vicinity. Although both eggs usually hatch, usually only one young survives to fledging. Age at first flight 49-59 days.
Diet
Mainly fish. Diet in North American waters not well known, but feeds mostly on fish while at sea. On breeding grounds, some feed mainly on the eggs and young of penguins, and on carrion around penguin colonies.
Nesting
In Antarctic, some nest close to penguin colonies, feeding on eggs and chicks. Where this species overlaps with the larger Brown Skua, the Browns effectively "control" the penguin colonies, and the South Polars must forage at sea. Courtship involves much posturing and calling; male feeds female. Usually first breeds at age of 5-6 years; birds usually have same mates and same nest sites every year thereafter. In aggressive display near nest, both wings are raised together over back, head extended forward while bird gives harsh calls. Nest site is on ground. Nest is simple scrape in soil or moss; often begun by male and completed by female.
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