Wednesday 20 September 2023

Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicaudus)

OTHER NAMES: Long-tailed Jaeger
Latin Etymology: Stercorarius ("of dung") longicaudus ("long wing")

 

Intermediate morph Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicaudus) at Bridlington Harbour, East Yorkshire - September 2023

Featured Subspecies: Stercorarius longicaudus longicaudus
Weight: 230-444g  /  Length: 35-58cm  /  Wingspan: 102-117cm
UK GREEN LIST IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The smallest of the world's skuas, the Long-tailed is a breeder in the high Arctic tundra, it has an almost pigeon like face in some faces, making it seem an overall gentler bird than it's large cousins. That said, it is still both a hunter and a pirate, robbing other seabirds of their catch, as well as eating rodents.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Stercorariidae
Genus: Stercorarius
SUBSPECIES: S. l. longicaudus, S. l. pallescens

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A scarce passage migrant 
 - Several seen at Bridlington in September 2023

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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