Great Skua

Identification

The great skua is a powerfully built seabird roughly the size of a herring gull, measuring 50–58 cm long with a wingspan of 125–140 cm. Adults are streaked greyish-brown with a distinctive black cap, while juveniles are warmer brown and unstreaked below. The bird features a short, blunt tail and notably powerful flight. Its most recognizable features are its massive barrel chest and white wing flashes, visible even at distance, which some observers say give it the impression of a common buzzard.

Within its North Atlantic range, the great skua is relatively straightforward to identify from other jaeger species, though it can be confused with southern-hemisphere skuas. The harsh call—a distinctive hah-hah-hah-hah—along with quacking and croaking noises, aids identification in the field.

Range & Habitat

The great skua breeds in Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, and on Scottish islands, with some populations found on mainland Scotland and in northwest Ireland. It inhabits coastal moorland and rocky islands during the breeding season. This is a migratory species that winters at sea in the Atlantic Ocean and regularly reaches North American waters, though it occasionally appears as a vagrant to Mediterranean countries.

Behaviour & Diet

Great skuas are aggressive aerial predators and accomplished kleptoparasites, deliberately harassing other seabirds—including gannets and northern gannets—to steal their catches. A characteristic technique involves flying up to a gannet in mid-air, grabbing it by the wing to make it stall and fall into the sea, then physically attacking it until it surrenders its food. They show less agility but more brute force than smaller skua species when harassing victims.

Their diet consists mainly of fish, other seabirds, eggs, carrion, and occasionally berries and small mammals, particularly young rabbits. They are known to prey on lambs and even pony foals, and readily kill smaller birds such as puffins. A major food source is by-catch abandoned by fishing vessels. Great skuas will continue their piratical behaviour throughout the year and fiercely defend their nesting territories, showing little fear of humans and repeatedly dive-bombing intruders approaching their nests.

Best Time & Places to See It

The breeding season in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, and Scottish islands offers the best opportunity to observe great skuas on their coastal moorland and rocky island habitats. Winter months see them dispersed across the Atlantic Ocean, where they are regularly encountered in North American waters. Birdwatchers and travellers visiting northern seabird colonies during the breeding season should watch for their characteristic aggressive interactions with gulls, terns, and gannets.

Photography Tips

The great skua's large size, powerful silhouette, and distinctive white wing flashes make it a rewarding subject for wildlife photography. Its characteristic aggressive behaviour—pursuing and harassing other seabirds in mid-air—provides dynamic photographic opportunities. The contrast between its dark plumage and pale wing markings is best captured in good light. Photographers should exercise caution when near breeding territories, as adults will dive-bomb intruders, though this defensive behaviour itself can yield dramatic images of the bird's fierce territorial nature.