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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Stercorariidae
  4. ›
  5. Stercorarius
  6. ›
  7. South Polar Skua

BirdUp · Species

South Polar Skua

Stercorarius maccormickiSaunders, H, 1893

Conservation status: Least ConcernOrigin: Native
Order
CHARADRIIFORMES
Family
Stercorariidae
Genus
Stercorarius

At a glance

The South Polar Skua, listed as Least Concern and native to Australia. It is best seen in summer.

Conservation status
Least Concern
Origin
Native
Best seen
Summer
Commonness
Restricted
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The south polar skua is a large seabird in the skua family, Stercorariidae. An older name for the bird is MacCormick's skua, after explorer and naval surgeon Robert McCormick, who first collected the type specimen. This species and the other large skuas, such as the great skua, are sometimes placed in a separate genus Catharacta.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Wingspan
125 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a South Polar Skua?

The South Polar Skua is recorded across its Australian range mainly in January, February and November.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the South Polar Skua live in Australia?

The South Polar Skua is native to Australia, recorded across 1 of Australia’s bioregions, with a core range spanning coastal Antarctica, especially Ross Sea.

BreedingCoastal Antarctica, especially Ross Sea; also South Shetland and South Orkney is. (off Antarctic Pen.)

Non-breedingTo north offshore waters and North Indian Ocean: mostly clockwise to Japanese and Korean waters (west North Pacific) and Gulf Stream of east USA (west North Atlantic), then south-west Canada to north Baja California (north-west Mexico; east North Pacific) and north-west Africa (east North Atlantic)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Vagrant

6 regions recorded