noun
definition
Any of various predatory seabirds of the family Stercorariidae that often chase other seabirds to steal their catches.
Examples of skuas in a Sentence
The sea-elephant and sea-leopard are characteristic. Penguins of various kinds are abundant; a teal (Querquedula Eatoni) peculiar to Kerguelen and the Crozets is also found in considerable numbers, and petrels, especially the giant petrel (Ossifraga gigantea), skuas, gulls, sheath-bills (Chionis minor), albatross, terns, cormorants and Cape pigeons frequent the island.
The family Laridae is composed of two chief groups, Larinae and Sterninae - the gulls and the terns, though two other subfamilies are frequently counted, the skuas (Stercorariinae), and that formed by the single genus Rhynchops, the skimmers; but there seems no strong reason why the former should not be referred to the Larinae and the latter to the Sterninae.
Further on, the maritime heathland was alive with Arctic Terns, Great and Arctic Skuas, all engaged in dramatic aerial dogfights.
The visitors included petrels, skuas, cormorants and terns.
Other birds to look out for are blue-eyed shags, kelp gulls, cape petrels, skuas, snowy sheathbills and antarctic terns.
The offshore wind did seawatchers no favors, with 50 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Arctic Skuas the only noteworthy sightings off the Bill.
For example, northern breeders including skuas funnel through the English Channel into the North Sea on the way to their breeding grounds.
Although many individual skuas keep the same mate each breeding season, some birds select another mate.
Predation by brown skuas was a major cause of egg and chick loss.
Two Arctic Skuas harried terns offshore, which was a bit of a surprise to me.
Here there are Weddell and elephant seals, skuas, giant petrels, Antarctic terns and rookeries of chinstrap, gentoo and macaroni penguins.
These 20 islands are home to five seal species, massive penguin rookeries as well as a wealth of seabirds from albatross to skuas.