South Polar Skua

Scientific name or authority not available. SOPSK 5700
Family information not available.

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.

Identification

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Status 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.

POPULATION SIZE

We have no population estimates for this scarce species.

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 South Polar Skua, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING

Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.

CODES & CLASSIFICATION

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