Do skuas migrate?

Arctic skuas live most of their lives at sea, and come ashore only to breed in the Arctic summer. Once young jaegers leave the nest, they may not visit land for two years—until they have themselves reached breeding age. Parasitic jaegers are great travelers and annually migrate to winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

What do skuas do?

The most notable method Artic Skuas use to feed is that they steal food from other birds, attacking them while they are flying back with their catch.

What eats skuas Antarctic?

Many practice kleptoparasitism, which comprises up to 95% of the feeding methods of wintering skuas, by chasing gulls, terns and other seabirds to steal their catches, regardless of the size of the species attacked (up to three times heavier than the attacking skua).

How far does an Arctic tern travel to breed?

around 25,000 miles
It travels from its Arctic breeding grounds to Antarctica where it enjoys the Antarctic summer, covering around 25,000 miles. Breeding birds sport a full black cap, short red legs, and a red bill.

Do skuas dive?

A fierce pirate of the sea, the Arctic skua is renowned for stealing fish from other seabirds and dive-bombing anyone that comes near its nests. It breeds in the far north of Scotland and on the Scottish Isles.

Do Arctic terns migrate?

An arctic tern soars over Iceland. These small birds have one of the longest annual migrations of any animal on Earth. Every year, arctic terns migrate from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle—a round-trip journey of about 30,000 kilometers (18,641 miles).

Do all terns migrate?

After the breeding season, the terns migrate south to spend their winter along the coasts of the tropics and the southern hemisphere in areas including Africa, South America and South-east Asia. They have one of the longest migrations of all birds, with an average round trip of 35,000km each year.

Are skuas predators?

The skuas are predators, much the same as jaegers and gulls, but are the largest and most aggressive of the group. These ocean birds are capable of catching and killing birds as large as shearwaters. Being predators, they are opportunists and mostly seek out smaller prey, sick or injured birds.

Are there any Skuas that live in Antarctica?

In fact, skuas are one of Antarctica’s top avian predators. There are two skua species in Antarctica, the brown skua and south polar skua. Both patrol King George Island in the South Shetlands as well as the nearby Antarctic Peninsula in search of prey.

What does a Skua do in the Antarctic?

Each skua pair has its own unique Antarctic breeding territory that they occupy during the breeding season. Once a breeding pair has established its territory, the pair scrapes a small depression in the ground in which to lay eggs. Afterward, the skuas take turns incubating the eggs.

When do skuas lay their eggs in Antarctica?

The island chain’s plentiful penguin populations, proximity to the ocean, and rocky nesting grounds make for an excellent breeding spot. From October to March, scientists monitor skuas on a weekly basis, tracking egg laying, reading leg bands, and monitoring chicks.

When do Subantarctic skuas leave their colonies?

Small numbers of subantarctic skuas have been observed foraging at Antarctic islands, but they do not breed there. Although most adult birds leave their colonies during winter, on some islands off the coast of New Zealand, a large proportion of the population will stay near the colonies all year round.