Great Skua

Seen one? Add it to your free UK BirdedexHear its song and see the mapFree, no app download. Uncommon bird: +3 points when you log it.

Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Northern isles (summer).
Diet: Fish, seabirds.
Best time to spot: Hefty pirate of seabird colonies.

When to look

Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in British seabirds.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Great Skua sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Arctic SkuaUncommon · Northern moors (summer); sea (passage)
• Long-tailed SkuaRare · Open sea (autumn passage)
• Pomarine SkuaRare · Open sea (passage)
• South Polar SkuaLegendary · Pelagic (very rare)
• Arctic TernUncommon · Northern coasts (summer)
• WhimbrelUncommon · Northern moors (summer); coast (passage)

Kit that helps

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