The Great Sku is an amazing bird that is interesting to watch. Ornithologists have studied this species of birds well enough, but skuas do not get tired of surprising scientists with impudent behavior, amazing fidelity, phenomenal endurance and other habits characteristic of all representatives of the genus.
Our article will talk about how these conquerors of cold latitudes live.
Who are skuas?
As the name suggests, the life of these birds is connected with the sea. Skuas settle on islands located in the Arctic and Antarctic. The number of varieties is small, and genetic studies show that the difference in the genomes of representatives of different species is minimal.
Species affiliation
Some modern scientists are inclined to believe that there are reasons to attribute skuas to gulls. But officially it is believed that the bird belongs to the Great Skuas family to the charadriiformes.
Scientists distinguish the genus large and the genus of small skuas, including several species.
External features of skuas
Looking at the photo, it is difficult to determine who this bird looks like more. She definitely has the features of a seagull, to some it resembles a huge titmouse, there is some similarity even with a duck.
Large skuas - large birds, wingspan can reach 1.4 meters. The bird itself has a massive physique. In length can reach 50-55 cm.
South Polar Skuas slightly smaller, it grows to about 40 cm, the wingspan rarely exceeds 1 meter.
Young birds often have a grayish color. The color of adults depends on the habitat, skuas from different islands may differ from each other. Gamma includes several shades, from brown to white.
The wings of this bird have pointed ends in scope. If you look at the flying skuas from the ground, you can notice a tapered tail. Depending on the species, it may be shorter or longer, but there are 12 feathers in it anyway.
A skua walking on the surface of the earth may seem a little awkward. It’s even strange that such a powerful body is held by two thin legs. But this is a pretty nimble bird.
Scientists have noticed that after molting, the color of the plumage of these birds does not change at all. A similar feature among birds is not so common.
Habitat
Skuas simply adore salty sea and ocean water. They never settle on the banks of fresh water.
Large skuas are common both in the northernmost latitudes of the planet and in the southern ones.
Skuas settle along the coasts of Norway, Scotland, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Canada, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia; on Orkney, Faroe, Shetland islands. Numerous nests of these birds are located in Chile and the islands adjacent to the southern coast of South America, as well as on the coast of Antarctica.
But these birds were often noticed far beyond the limits of their natural habitat, for example, in India. Often they reach even the equatorial waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Gorgeous flyer
Knowing that the great skuas are seabirds, many represent an excellent diver and swimmer. But it is worth noting that, unlike the vast majority of its neighbors, this bird does not know how to dive at all.
But she is considered one of the best flyers of the planet. Her element is air. Those who had occasion to admire the skua flight spoke out with enthusiasm about this phenomenon.
This bird is able not only to overcome considerable distances, but also to perform incredible maneuvers: turn around swiftly, swiftly fly upwards along an almost vertical trajectory, go into a tailspin and a dive, turning over in flight with absolute fearlessness.
When the skuas get tired of flying, it doesn’t even need dry land to rest. On a shaky surface of the water, he feels no less comfortable than on a reliable rocky shore. Sitting on the water, the skua relaxes, restoring strength for new flights.
What is his behavior on land? Thin legs only seem fragile. Skuas run well, and at the same time develops good speed.
Sea robber
Researchers noted an important feature of the behavior of these Antarctic birds. No wonder the skuas were dubbed pirate birds.
They are cunning, smart, smart, have a great memory. These qualities help in the struggle for survival.
Skuas not only brazenly rob neighbors, taking food from them, but often encroach on the prey of man.
Skuas are omnivorous predators. They enjoy eggs, small rodents, and chicks of birds living in the neighborhood with pleasure. Seagulls, puffins, and penguins especially suffer from them, which the skuas mercilessly terrorize, destroying nests and abducting young animals. Scientists have documented several facts of cannibalism.
These birds are very fond of fish, but the fishermen of them are simply useless - they cannot dive. But they can simply rob a more successful neighbor along the coast, taking away his catch. Often raider capture takes place right in the air: when a skua sees a bird with prey in its beak, a skua attacks it and grabs a beaten fish right on the fly. Strength, determination and massive build - what else is needed for this kind of racket?
Skuas are very attracted to seaports, fish factories, fur farms, fishing vessels. These birds are not too shy and are used to the fact that people do not offend them. Heaps of industrial waste and farms are especially attracting them.
In general, ornithologists have long noticed that these savvy birds always choose the easiest way to get food. If flying fish live nearby , skuas focus on them, dashingly hunting for those jumping out of the water. In years favorable for rodents, when their populations grow, skuas can even leave their neighboring birds and inhabitants of the ocean alone, completely switching to small animals. And if there are food industry enterprises nearby that can profit from, skuas stop hunting and are content with waste.
Courtship games
Great skuas are hardly sociable. They prefer to hunt either alone or in a group of two to three birds. The packs are reluctant to go astray and only for the sake of creating families.
Skua male is a real gentleman, capable of everything for the sake of winning the lady of the heart. He dances around her, sticking out his chest, and sings songs to her (very unpleasant to the human ear, by the way). Having conquered the chosen one, the father of the future family proceeds to the construction of the nest. Wife helps him in this matter.
The couple generally does everything together. At the masonry, the partners sit in turn, they share responsibilities for the care of hatched chicks among themselves. At first, parents feed the babies with insects, later they add small chicks of other birds, small fish, to their diet.
All species belonging to the genus Greater Skuas always have two eggs in the clutch. The female lays them in December.
Ornithologists know that skuas create mating unions for life. However, the courtship period only happens once. A year later, having flown back to the same place, the partners easily find each other, but couples who have already taken out the chicks have no dancing with songs. The birds mate quickly and immediately begin to engage in the nest.
In rare cases, scientists also observe polyginic skuas. And two females that have lost males can join forces and organize a common nest with four chicks, which they will care for together.
Long-lived bird
Young skuas leave their parental nest just two months after birth. They already know how to fly, swim, hunt, and, if necessary, also hide. However, large skuas reach maturity only by the age of seven.
It is not without reason that this bird is called a long-liver. She lives an average of 40 years.
Is there a threat to skuas?
Brief descriptions of polar birds (skuas) often end with disappointing data on a decrease in the number of populations. But this bird is not among the endangered species. At present, according to scientists, in the world there are at least 15 thousand pairs of large skuas, and there is no threat of extinction for them.