South Polar Skua
Stercorarius maccormicki
Skuas and Jaegers (Stercorariidae) · Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)
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Often mixed up with
In quizzes, players most often confuse South Polar Skua with these birds—either this species was picked by mistake, or the other way around.
| Species | Mix-ups |
|---|---|
| Great Skua Stercorarius skua | 28 |
| Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus | 10 |
| Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus | 9 |
| Brown Skua Stercorarius antarcticus | 6 |
| Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus | 5 |
Family
The skuas () are a group of predatory and kleptoparasitic seabirds with seven species forming the genus Stercorarius, the only genus in the family Stercorariidae. The three smaller skuas, the Arctic skua, the long-tailed skua, and the pomarine skua, are called jaegers in North American English. The English word "skua" comes from the Faroese name for the great skua, skúgvur [ˈskɪkvʊɹ], with the island of Skúvoy renowned for its colony of that bird.
Order
Charadriiformes (, from Charadrius, the type genus of family Charadriidae) is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 390 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most charadriiform birds live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic (seabirds), others frequent deserts, and a few are found in dense forest.