Story: Seabirds – overview
Brown skuas are members of the Charadriiformes order. Outside the breeding period, seabirds stay out at sea, close to their food source. But while breeding they need dry land to nest, lay eggs and care for their chicks. Travelling from the nesting site to gather seafood takes time and energy. Skuas and giant petrels solve the problem by breeding close to seal, penguin, or other seabird colonies, becoming predators and scavengers. This brown (or southern) skua is feeding on a penguin chick on the Antipodes Islands. Brown skuas breed on Stewart Island, the Chathams, the subantarctic islands, and on the New Zealand mainland near Fiordland. Their colonies are small, relative to the size of the penguin or other colonies they depend on for food.
About this item
Department of Conservation
Reference: 10048693
Photograph by Tim Higham
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