Stercorariidae
Sign in to saveThe 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.
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Stercorariidae is a family of aggressive seabirds known as skuas, which hunt other birds and steal food from them—a behavior called kleptoparasitism. The family contains seven species all belonging to the genus Stercorarius, and three of these smaller species are commonly called jaegers in North America.
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5 sectionsContents
- Biology and habits
- Taxonomy
- Species
- References
- External links
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, , with the island of Skúvoy renowned for its colony of that bird. The general Faroese term for skuas is . The word "jaeger" or is German for "hunter". The genus name Stercorarius is Latin and means "of dung"; the food disgorged by other birds when pursued by skuas was once thought to be excrement.