OTHER NAMES: Bonxie
Latin Etymology: Stercorarius ("of dung") skua (derived from Faroese name)
Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 1.2-1.4 kg / Length: 50-58cm / Wingspan: 125-140cm
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern
The largest of the skuas found in UK waters, the Great Skua - also often called the Bonxie after it's Shetland name - is a powerful predator and piratical feeder. It will harass other seabirds into dropping their catch, though it will also feed on smaller seabirds themselves. Their genetics is interesting in that studies have suggested that they share some sort of hybrid origin with Pomarine skua with one being the result of a hybrid lineage with the other evolving into a separate species, although precisely which is the hybrid population is unresolved.
Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Stercorariidae
Genus: Stercorarius
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic
- Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - A scarce breeder in North Scotland (9650+ pairs) and passage migrant
- Seen at Flamborough Head in September 2023
Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
No comments:
Post a Comment