Great Skua

Catharacta skua

Known as the "pirate of the seas," this formidable seabird strikes fear into other birds with its aggressive hunting tactics and powerful build.

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Visual Identification

Appearance

The Great Skua is a robust seabird with dark brown plumage, often mottled with lighter streaks. It has a distinctive stocky build, with a large head, powerful hooked bill, and broad wings that give it a gull-like silhouette in flight.

Adults display white wing patches visible during flight, while juveniles are more uniformly dark. There is little seasonal variation in plumage, and sexes are similar in appearance.

Great Skuas could be confused with other Skua species, although they are the largest and heaviest species likely to be encountered in the Northern Hemisphere. They also resemble the dark juvenile plumage of Larus gulls like Glaucous, Lesser black-backed, and Herring Gulls.

Size

Length

50cm to 58cm

Wingspan

125cm to 140cm

Weight

1.2kg to 1.8kg

Colours

Males and females have similar plumage

Primary Colour

Brown

Secondary Colour

White

Beak Colour

Black

Leg Colour

Black

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Great Skua is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Great Skua is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Great Skua is not typically found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Great Skua can be found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Great Skua is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Great Skua is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Great Skua is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Great Skua is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Great Skua is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Great Skua is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Great Skua is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Great Skua is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Great Skuas primarily inhabit coastal areas and open seas in the North Atlantic. They breed on coastal moorlands and grassy islands in northern Europe, with significant populations in Iceland, Norway, and the British Isles, particularly Scotland.

During non-breeding seasons, they disperse widely across the North Atlantic, reaching as far as North America and West Africa. In the UK, they are most commonly seen around the northern isles of Scotland.

Elevation Range

Sea level to 100 meters

Climate zones

Subarctic, Temperate

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Great Skua. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons