Arctic Skua
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Posted on Tue 16 Nov 2021 · by Hebridean Adventures
The true pirate of the seas! These gull-like birds are notorious for stealing fish from other seabirds, such as puffins and terns. Arctic skuas -- also known as parasitic jaegers -- spend the majority of life at sea, returning ashore only to breed in the Arctic summer.
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS
This medium-sized bird is approximately the same size as a common gull, but more streamlined. Its pointed wings -- pale at the tips -- enable the pirate-bird to fly low and fast above the waves. It has dark and light forms.