South Polar Skua
Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Pelagic (very rare).
Diet: Fish, scavenges.
Best time to spot: Subtly different from Great.
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.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Arctic SkuaUncommon · Northern moors (summer); sea (passage)
- Great SkuaUncommon · Northern isles (summer)
- Long-tailed SkuaRare · Open sea (autumn passage)
- Pomarine SkuaRare · Open sea (passage)
- Audubon's Shearwater · Pelagic (very rare)
- Black-bellied Storm Petrel · Pelagic (very rare)
Kit that helps
Bird ID starter kit. Affiliate links, tested picks, no extra cost to you.
See South Polar Skua sightings on the map