![\"\"](\"https:\/\/birdfinding.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/SouthPolarSkua56.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a9 Scott Baker<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Birdfinding.info \u21d2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 A constant presence around Antarctic penguin colonies from November to March.\u00a0 During the rest of the year, it is widespread but mostly uncommon across the world\u2019s oceans.\u00a0 From April to October, it is seen regularly on pelagic trips out of ports from Hatteras<\/strong><\/a>, North Carolina, to Nova Scotia.\u00a0 Along the Pacific coast, it is seen regularly from August to October in offshore waters from British Columbia to California.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Stercorarius maccormicki<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Family: Stercorariidae<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Breeds in Antarctica and winters in the northern oceans.<\/strong>\u00a0 Mostly pelagic away from its breeding grounds.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t \u00a9 Xeno-Canto 2021<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Breeding.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Breeds from November to March along coasts and islets of Antarctica, mostly around the Ross Sea and Antarctic Peninsula, typically within commuting distance of penguin and other seabird colonies.<\/p> Nonbreeding.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 From May to October, most of the population winters far offshore in the Northern Hemisphere.<\/p> In the Pacific, there is a general clockwise rotation, as a large portion spends May and June in East Asian waters, mostly south and east of Japan, then in July moves north and east to Alaskan waters, then spends August through October off the western coast of North America.\u00a0 Although the broad trend is clockwise, smaller numbers reach the eastern North Pacific in May, some remain in the western North Pacific into October.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Many nonbreeders circulate through the North Atlantic as well, but the pattern appears to differ\u2014presumably due to competition with Great Skuas<\/strong> in the eastern North Atlantic.\u00a0 During most of the nonbreeding season, from May to October, significant numbers South Polars remain in the offshore waters of the U.S. and Canada.\u00a0 On the southbound return trip, mostly during September and October, some portion heads southeast through Macaronesia to Iberian and North African offshore waters.<\/p> Much smaller numbers of nonbreeders (perhaps only a few strays) move into the Indian Ocean\u2014where they have been detected mainly in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.<\/p> Movements.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Northbound migration from the Southern Ocean to the Northern Hemisphere occurs over a brief period in March and April.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua at the edge of an Adelie Penguin nesting colony.\u00a0 (Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica; December 9, 2015.) \u00a0\u00a9 Megan Elrod<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Southbound migration appears to be very brief, occurring mostly from late October to mid-November.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Identification<\/strong><\/span><\/p> The most variable skua.\u00a0 Adult plumages vary on a spectrum from pale whitish to blackish-brown, including many shades of brown in between.<\/p> Pale morphs are unique among skuas and readily identifiable.\u00a0 The head, neck, and underparts are mostly cream-colored, while the back, rump, tail, and wings are mostly dark-brown.<\/p> Intermediate and dark morphs are easily mistaken for other skua species, in part because they vary widely in coloration and pattern.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, pale morph.\u00a0 (Deception Island, Antarctica; February 19, 2015.) \u00a0\u00a9 Hal and Kirsten Snyder<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, dark morphs.\u00a0 (Half Moon Island, Antarctica; December 11, 2016.) \u00a0\u00a9 Phillip Edwards<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, dark morph.\u00a0 (Half Moon Island, Antarctica; December 11, 2016.) \u00a0\u00a9 Phillip Edwards<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Most appear unstreaked at a distance, but have variable concentrations of blond streaking around the head, neck, breast and back.<\/p> A pattern that recurs frequently among dark morphs is concentrated blond streaking on the nape.\u00a0 Other, less frequent, but consistent patterns include a blond-streaked collar or a blond-streaked cowl or cape\u2014including the crown, upper back, and sides of the head and neck.<\/p> In flight, like all skuas, it shows a bright white flash at the base of the primaries.\u00a0 On the upperside, the white is limited, a stripe with dark bars.\u00a0 On the underwing, the white patch is larger, cleaner, and more triangular.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, pale morph.\u00a0 (Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica; December 20, 2010.) \u00a0\u00a9 Kimberley Collins<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, dark morph.\u00a0 (Neko Harbor, Andvord Bay, Antarctica; January 26, 2010.) \u00a0\u00a9 Chris Wood<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, dark morph.\u00a0 (Neko Harbor, Andvord Bay, Antarctica; January 26, 2010.) \u00a0\u00a9 Chris Wood<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, pale morph.\u00a0 (Whaler\u2019s Bay, Deception Island, Antarctica; February 19, 2015.) \u00a0\u00a9 Andrew Spencer<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, dark morph.\u00a0 (Cuverville Island, Antarctica; January 10, 2010.) \u00a0\u00a9 Marbry Hopkins<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, pale morph.\u00a0 (Half Moon Island, Antarctica; January 10, 2016.) \u00a0\u00a9 Steve Kelling<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, pale or intermediate morph.\u00a0 (D\u2019Hainaut Island, Mikkelsen Harbor, Antarctica; February 14, 2015.) \u00a0\u00a9 Nick Athanas<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, pale morph.\u00a0 (Brown Bluff, Antarctica; February 18, 2015.) \u00a0\u00a9 Hal and Kirsten Snyder<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, pale morph.\u00a0 (Esperanza Station, Antarctica; February 4, 2018.) \u00a0\u00a9 Leonardo Santoro<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, pale morph.\u00a0 (Offshore from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina; June 1, 2015.) \u00a0\u00a9 Michael Todd<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, intermediate morph.\u00a0 (Useful Island, Antarctica; December 14, 2019.) \u00a0\u00a9 Noah Strycker<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, dark morph.\u00a0 (Damoy Point, Dorian Bay, Antarctica; January 31, 2017.) \u00a0\u00a9 R\u00e9mi Bigonneau<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, dark morph.\u00a0 (Half Moon Island, Antarctica; December 11, 2016.) \u00a0\u00a9 Phillip Edwards<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, dark morph.\u00a0 (Neko Harbor, Andvord Bay, Antarctica; January 26, 2010.) \u00a0\u00a9 Chris Wood<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, dark morph.\u00a0 (Offshore from Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick; September 5, 2020.)\u00a0 \u00a9 Jim Carroll<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, pale or intermediate morph.\u00a0 (Offshore from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina; May 20, 2019.) \u00a0\u00a9 Ed Corey<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t South Polar Skua, pale morph.\u00a0 (Turret Point, Antarctica; January 17, 2018.) \u00a0\u00a9 Peter Lowe<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/birdfinding.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/South-Polar-Skua-Map.png\")
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t