South Polar Skua

South Polar Skua

Stercorarius maccormicki

Introduction

South Polar Skua breeds in the southern hemisphere although tracking studies show some individuals migrate to the North Atlantic.

South Polar Skua can be very difficult to distinguish from Great Skua, especially under typical seawatching conditions. The first British record concerns a bird that spent nine days on a Dorset beach, allowing close scrutiny and collection of DNA material.

Key Stats

Population and distribution stats for:
Population Change
Population Change
No data
Population Size
Population Size
No current data
Distribution Change
Distribution_change
No current data
Population Change
Population Change
No data
Population Size
Population Size
No current data
Distribution Change
Distribution_change
No current data

Movement

Information about South Polar Skua movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

European movements

EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for South Polar Skua, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Survival and Longevity

Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for South Polar Skua

Classification and Codes

  • Scientific name: Stercorarius maccormicki
  • BTO 5-letter code: SOPSK
  • Euring code number: 5700

Alternate species names

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.
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