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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.

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African & New World Parrots
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Skuas

Spindalises
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sunbittern
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Tanagers & Allies
Tapaculos
Thrushes
Thrush-tanager
Tinamous
Tits, Chickadees
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Toucans
Treecreepers
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Waxwings
Woodpeckers
Wrens
Wrenthrush
Yellow-breasted Chat
A photo of a Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus)

Arctic Skua

Stercorarius parasiticus
A photo of a Great Skua (Stercorarius skua)

Great Skua

Stercorarius skua
A photo of a Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicaudus)

Long-tailed Skua

Stercorarius longicaudus
A photo of a Pomarine Skua (Stercorarius pomarinus)

Pomarine Skua

Stercorarius pomarinus
A photo of a South Polar Skua (Stercorarius maccormicki)

South Polar Skua

Stercorarius maccormicki
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Species Categories

African & New World Parrots

Albatrosses

Anhingas, Darters

Antbirds

Antpittas

Antthrushes

Auks

Austral Storm Petrels

Barn Owls

Black-capped Donacobius

Bushtits

Caracaras, Falcons

Cardinals & Allies

Chachalacas, Curassows, Guans

Chats, Old World Flycatchers

Cormorants, Shags

Cotingas

Cranes

Crows, Jays

Cuckoos

Dippers

Ducks, Geese, Swans

Finches, Euphonias

Finfoots

Flamingos

Frigatebirds

Gannets, Boobies

Gnatcatchers

Gnateaters

Goldcrests, Kinglets

Grebes

Gulls, Terns, Skimmers

Herons, Bitterns

Hummingbirds

Ibises, Spoonbills

Jacamars

Jacanas

Kingfishers

Kites, Hawks, Eagles

Larks

Leaf Warblers & Allies

Limpkin

Longspurs, Snow Buntings

Loons

Manakins

Mitrospingid Tanagers

Mockingbirds, Thrashers

Motmots

New World Barbets

New World Quail

New World Sparrows

New World Vultures

New World Warblers

Nightjars

Northern Storm Petrels

Nuthatches

Oilbird

Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches

Olive Warbler

Oropendolas, Orioles, Blackbirds

Ospreys

Ovenbirds

Owls

Oystercatchers

Parrotbills & Allies

Pelicans

Penduline Tits

Penguins

Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels

Pheasants & Allies

Pigeons, Doves

Plovers

Potoos

Puffbirds

Rails, Crakes & Coots

Sandpipers, Snipes

Sapayoa

Shrikes

Silky-flycatchers

Skuas

Spindalises

Starlings, Rhabdornis

Stilts, Avocets

Stone-curlews, Thick-knees

Storks

Sunbittern

Swallows, Martins

Swifts

Tanagers & Allies

Tapaculos

Thrushes

Thrush-tanager

Tinamous

Tits, Chickadees

Tityras, Becards, Sharpbill

Toucan Barbets

Toucans

Treecreepers

Trogons

Tropicbirds

Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura

Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers

Wagtails, Pipits

Waxbills, Munias & Allies

Waxwings

Woodpeckers

Wrens

Wrenthrush

Yellow-breasted Chat

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