Long-tailed Skua
Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Open sea (autumn passage).
Diet: Fish, lemmings (Arctic).
Best time to spot: Tern-like elegance; long tail-streamers.
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.
Where to see it
Reserves where the Long-tailed Skua is on the list:
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Pomarine SkuaRare · Open sea (passage)
- Arctic SkuaUncommon · Northern moors (summer); sea (passage)
- Great SkuaUncommon · Northern isles (summer)
- South Polar Skua · Pelagic (very rare)
- Sooty ShearwaterRare · Open Atlantic (autumn passage)
- Black KiteRare · Open country (passage)
Kit that helps
Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, tested picks, no extra cost to you.
See Long-tailed Skua sightings on the map