Tim Melling – Brown Skua

Tim writes: skuas are closely related to gulls but differ in their bill structure.  In summer a lid develops from the base of the bill covering the nostrils.  In fact, the old name Pomatorhine for Pomarine Skua translates from Greek as lidded nose, and that lid is visible here in the sitting bird.  These are Brown Skuas (Catharacta antarctica) of the subspecies lonnbergi which breeds on the Antarctic peninsula and the subantarctic islands.  These were both photographed on South Georgia.

The skuas in the northern hemisphere (Great, Arctic, Long-tailed and Pomarine) all fiercely defend their nests, whereas the southern hemisphere species (Brown, South Polar and Chilean) seem indifferent to humans near their nests.  The difference is probably down to the lack of ground predators in the Antarctic whereas in the Arctic there are things they need to defend their nests from, such as Arctic Foxes and Polar Bears.  Brown Skuas are big birds too, and can weigh over 2kg with a wingspan over 1.5m, so I’m glad they don’t attack like their northern cousins.

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