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Distribution
Arctic Skua   Stercorarius parasiticus
A common breeding bird near the coast over the whole island group. Usually seen singly or in pairs, but groups of up to six birds can be seen together and then often during a ceremonial display flight. Steals food, mainly from Arctic Terns, Kittiwakes and auk species. Probably more than 1000 pairs breed.   

Features: 37-44 cm (in addition central tail feathers of summer adult are 5-8 cm), 440-700 gram. ♂=♀, but the female is slightly larger. Most birds on Svalbard are of the pale phase (white underparts with a clearly marked dark band on the breast). Entirely dark individuals are rarer and form a maximum of five percent of the population. The dark ones are most often paired to a pale bird. Has several different calls, of which the cries during display flight, often in ceremony with a neighbouring pair, are loud and  long-lasting.   

​Breeding: Usually breeds near the coast and mainly solitarily (single pairs). Groups of breeding birds occur on Bjørnøya. Usually builds the nest on dry ground with vegetation. On damp ground the nest is built on tussocks or other higher sites. ​


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  • Home
  • Hjem
  • Bird observations
    • Recent photos
  • Species
    • Regular breeding birds >
      • Brent Goose
      • Barnacle Goose
      • Pink-footed Goose
      • King Eider
      • Common Eider
      • Long-tailed Duck
      • Svalbard Rock Ptarmigan
      • Ringed Plover
      • Ruddy Turnstone
      • Dunlin
      • Purple Sandpiper
      • Grey Phalarope
      • Black-legged Kittiwake
      • Ivory Gull
      • Great Black-backed Gull
      • Glaucous Gull
      • Arctic Tern
      • Great Skua
      • Arctic Skua
      • Little Auk
      • Brünnich's Guillemot
      • Common Guillemot
      • Razorbill
      • Black Guillemot
      • Atlantic Puffin
      • Red-throated Diver
      • Northern Fulmar
      • Snow Bunting
    • Scarce breeding birds >
      • Northern Pintail
      • Common Teal
      • Common Scoter
      • European Golden Plover
      • Red Knot
      • Sanderling
      • Red-necked Phalarope
      • Sabine's Gull
      • Common Gull
      • European Herring Gull
      • Lesser Black-backed Gull
      • Long-tailed Skua
      • Great Northern Diver
      • Northern Gannet
      • Redwing
      • Northern Wheatear
      • Meadow Pipit
      • Lapland Bunting
    • Annual non-breeders >
      • Canada Goose
      • Cackling Goose
      • Snow Goose
      • Greylag Goose
      • Bean Goose
      • Greater White-fronted Goose
      • Whooper Swan
      • Eurasian Wigeon
      • Mallard
      • Tufted Duck
      • Steller's Eider
      • Common Goldeneye
      • Red-breasted Merganser
      • Eurasian Oystercatcher
      • Whimbrel
      • Pectoral Sandpiper
      • Common Snipe
      • Common Redshank
      • Black-headed Gull
      • Ross's Gull
      • Iceland Gull
      • Pomarine Skua
      • Snowy Owl
      • Gyrfalcon
      • Bohemian Waxwing
      • Barn Swallow
      • Song Trush
      • Common Blackbird
      • Fieldfare
      • White Wagtail
      • Common Redpoll
      • Arctic Redpoll
  • About
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