Long-tailed Skua

This is the smallest of the skua family at about 38cm length, excluding the elongated central tail feathers of the summer adult, which can add another 20cm or so.

The Long-tailed Skua is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

range in size from the Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicauda), at 310 grams (11 oz), to the Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus), at 1.63 kg (3.6 lb). On average, a skua is about 56 cm (22 in) and 121 (48 in) across the wings. They have longish bills with a hooked tip, and webbed feet with sharp claws. They look like large dark gulls, but have a fleshy cere above the upper mandible. The skuas are strong, acrobatic fliers. They are generally aggressive in disposition. More

Juvenile Long-tailed SkuaMy first thought was that's a very late cuckoo, but when I put my binoculars up I was stunned to see a juvenile skua, a rather small, slim, very grey skua. Its folded wings covered the tail completely from all angles so I was not able to see the tail projection. With its total lack of any warm brown colouration and small build I was pretty certain it was a Long-tailed Skua. More

Stercorarius longicaudus, or Long-tailed Skua, is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. Distribution / Range This species breeds in the high Arctic of Eurasia and North America, with major populations in Russia, Alaska and Canada and smaller populations around the rest of the Arctic. It is a migrant, wintering in the south Atlantic and Pacific. More

Long-tailed Skua at the Varanger, Norway. * * Add Video To Your Social Bookmarks Bookmark and Share Add comment - Something to say?.... More

The Long-tailed Skua is the smallest and most slender of the skuas and flies with effortless elegance even in rough weather. Adult birds are easy to identify with their extraordinary long central tail feathers and a unique pattern of pale chest but dark belly. The juveniles, however, without the long tail can be much more difficult. More

Long-tailed Skua: 14 May 2002: At Sea (Nial Moores) - Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus. One, presumed third year, May 14, 2002, at edge of open sea, and start of island archipelago, about 60 Km SW of Mokpo, Shinnan-Gun, Jeollanam Province. More

In summer 2007, two Long-tailed Skuas (Stercorarius longicaudus) were fitted with Argos transmitters on Traill Island in NE Greenland. Here below, you will find informations related to this project and you may follow their movements with a click on the relevant theme. More

The Long-tailed Skua is a gull-like bird, but darker. Characteristic are the long central tail feathers. Its weight is around 300 g and the wing span is 110 cm. It inhabits the Arctic tundra. Its circumpolar breeding range includes Northern parts of Siberia, Europe and North America as well as parts of Greenland. It is assumed that it winters off the coasts of South Africa and South America but much this remains to be confirmed. More

The Long-tailed Skua, Stercorarius longicaudus, is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. This is the smallest of the skuas at about 38cm length, excluding the elongated central tail feathers of the summer adult, which can add another 20cm or so. This species breeds in the high Arctic of Eurasia and North America, with major populations in Russia, Alaska and Canada and smaller populations around the rest of the Arctic. It nests on dry tundra or higher fells. More

article) are of the Pennington Flash Long-tailed Skua- and what a beauty it is! (Photo by Charlie Owen) In the very early 80's, visitors to Pennington Flash will remember there being a visitor centre in the shape of a portacabin filled with the history of the site, photographs and stuffed birds. More

(1985) Long-tailed Skuas Stercorarius longicaudus in New Zealand. NOTORNIS 32(1) 1985: 51-73. van der Elst, D. (1987) A propos de l'identification du labbe a longue queue (Stercorarius longicaudus) juvenile. AVES 24(3): p112-119. Turner, JE. (1987) Flight identification of skuas. HILBRE BIRD OBSERVATORY REPORT 1987 1987: 46-49. de Fraine, R. and Leysen, K. (1988) Identification of a first year long-tailed skua. ORIOLUS 54(4): p162-165. Malling Olson, K and Jonsson, L. More

The Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicaudus), is a seabird in the Skua family Stercorariidae. It is found in the high Arctic of Eurasia and North America. Large populations are found in Russia, Alaska and Canada, and other smaller populations are scattered around the rest of the Arctic. It winters in the south Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Many juveniles will hunt for food on golf courses and plowed fields and are usually quite fearless of humans. It is the smallest Skua at 15 inches in length. More

The long-tailed skua is a medium-sized seabird and our smallest skua. It is the size of a black-headed gull, with slim wings and long delicate tail streamers. It is greyish above, and dusky below with a pale breast. It has a dark cap on the head and has a dark bill. Juvenile birds and greyer and more barred than juvenile Arctic and Pomarine Skuas, but are tricky to identify. It is a passage migrant to the UK, breeding in the high Arctic. More

The long-tailed skua (Jaeger) is a palearctic migrant, rarely seen (2 recorded sightings) in Tanzania. These images were made at Ndutu on May 4, 2007 and are shown courtesy of Aadje Geertsma. The audio and video are of good quality. More

Long-tailed Skua is the smallest of the Skua's at about 38cm in length excluding the elongated central tail feathers of the summer adult which can add another 20cm or so. On passage juvenile birds sometimes hunt small prey in ploughed fields or golf-courses and are typically quite fearless of humans. The word Skua is derived from the New Latin alteration of Faroese 'skuvur' and from the Old Norse 'skufr', tassel (a reference to the tail streamers), seagull. More