Pomarine Skua
Stercorarius pomarinus (Temminck, 1815)
PK
POMSK
5660
Family: Charadriiformes > Stercorariidae
Pomarine Skuas breed across the northern tundra regions of Russia, Alaska and Canada. The species is a passage visitor to Britain & Ireland, with more records during autumn passage (August to November) than spring (May).
Autumn passage sees birds passing down both sides of Britain & Ireland, with adult passage typically peaking earlier than that of juvenile birds. Spring passage tends to see most birds reported from off the south coast of Ireland and north-west Scotland.
Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Pomarine Skua
Identification
Pomarine Skua identification is often difficult. The following article may help when identifying Pomarine Skua.
Identifying Skuas
Identifying skuas passing offshore in late summer is one of the great challenges of bird ID. There are clues to help us, however, and - with practice - most individuals can be identified. This workshop will point you in the right direction and help you to focus on the features and markings that will be most helpful when seawatching.
Develop your bird ID skills with our training courses
Our interactive online courses are a great way to develop your bird identification skills, whether you're new to the hobby or a competent birder looking to hone your abilities.
Browse training coursesStatus and Trends
Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.
CONSERVATION STATUS
This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.
| UK Birds of Conservation Concern | Green listed |
| Species of European Conservation Concern | Least Concern |
| IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global) |
Least Concern 
|
| Schedule 1 license required (to disturb) | No |
| Birds Directive Annex 1 | No |
|
Listed on the Annexes of
|
Bern(III) |
POPULATION SIZE
We have no population estimates for this scarce species.
| BOU Category | A |
|
First Record
|
East Sussex, 1818 |
DISTRIBUTION
Pomarine Skuas mostly winter in the tropics and the records shown on the winter distribution map here mostly involve passage birds in November.
-
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore. -
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Occupied 10-km squares in UK
| No. occupied in winter | 192 |
| % occupied in winter | 6.4 |
European Distribution Map
DISTRIBUTION CHANGE
More from the Atlas Mapstore.
| % change in range in winter (1981–84 to 2007–11) | +838.5% |
SEASONALITY
Spring passage of Pomarine Skuas is in April and May, followed by a long autumn passage season that can extend into late autumn and some birds may winter.
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
RINGING RECOVERIES
View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Pomarine Skua, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING
|
Number of Broods
|
1 |
|
Egg Size
|
64×44 mm Weight = 66 g (of which 6% is shell) |
BIOMETRICS
Sample sizes are too small to report Biometrics for this species.
Feather measurements and photos on featherbase
CODES & CLASSIFICATION
|
Field Codes
|
2-letter: PK | 5-letter code: POMSK | Euring: 5660 |
For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name
Links to more studies from ConservationEvidence.com
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