the.com/skua
the seabird that mugs penguins and bombs scientists who get too close to its nest
means A large, gull-like seabird of cold oceans, known for aggressively chasing other birds to steal their catch and dive-bombing intruders near its nest.
from From the Faroese 'skúgvur,' the local name for the great skua, which English borrowed in the 17th century. The Faroese word likely echoes the bird's harsh, screaming call — a name born from the sound of the thing itself, the way 'cuckoo' is.
- aerial pirate
- chases other birds until they vomit their catch
- polar range
- breeds in Arctic and Antarctic alike
- penguin thief
- steals eggs and chicks from colonies
- dive bomber
- strikes human heads to defend territory
- long haul
- some migrate pole to pole yearly
south polar skua — breeds in antarctica and steals food from penguins and other seabirds by aerial pursuit
great skua — patrols north atlantic coasts from iceland to scotland, pirating fish from other birds
pomarine skua — arctic breeder that migrates to tropical oceans, named for its twisted tail feathers