Skuas

Skuas, also known as jaegers in North American English, are a group of seven predatory seabird species categorized under the genus Stercorarius, which is the sole genus in the family Stercorariidae. The name "skua" is derived from the Faroese language, while "jaeger" comes from the German word for "hunter." These birds are renowned for their aggressive behavior, particularly during breeding season when they will "divebomb" intruders. Skuas vary in size and have a diet that includes fish, other seabirds' catches (through kleptoparasitism), and sometimes even other adult birds. On the breeding grounds, they may also consume lemmings, penguin eggs, and chicks. Certain species are known to scavenge on carcasses in the Antarctic, occasionally even pilfering milk from elephant seals. With medium to large size, grey or brown plumage, and a hooked bill, skuas are capable acrobatic fliers. Skuas nest on the ground in temperate and Arctic regions and migrate long distances, with some species being sighted as far as the South Pole. The systematics of skuas includes a taxonomic debate, with some proposing the division into two genera based on size and geographic distribution, but genetic studies suggest they should remain in a single genus. The seven species of skuas are distributed among various regions from the Arctic to the Southern Ocean, including coasts of South America, Antarctica, and northern oceans.