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Stercorarius pomarinus
(Pomarine jaeger, Pomarine skua)
Knopstertroofmeeu [Afrikaans]; Middelste jager [Dutch];
Labbe pomarin [French]; Spatelraubmöwe [German]; Moleiro-pomarino
[Portuguese]
Life
> Eukaryotes >
Opisthokonta
> Metazoa (animals) >
Bilateria >
Deuterostomia > Chordata >
Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates) > Gnathostomata (jawed
vertebrates) > Teleostomi (teleost fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class:
Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned
fish) > Stegocephalia (terrestrial
vertebrates) > Tetrapoda
(four-legged vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota >
Reptilia (reptiles) >
Romeriida > Diapsida > Archosauromorpha > Archosauria >
Dinosauria
(dinosaurs) > Saurischia > Theropoda (bipedal predatory dinosaurs) >
Coelurosauria > Maniraptora > Aves
(birds) > Order: Charadriiformes
> Family: Laridae > Genus: Stercorarius
Distribution and habitat
Breeds in the tundra of the Arctic Circle, heading south in
the non-breeding season to the tropics and south temperate oceans off Asia,
Australasia, South America and Africa. In southern African waters it is
common off northern and central Namibia, while more scarce along the coast of
South Africa and southern Mozambique. It generally prefers inshore waters,
rarely moving further out to sea or to coastal wetlands and sheltered embayments.
Movements and migrations
Departs from its breeding grounds in the period
from August-October (earlier if the breeding attempt failed),
arriving in southern Africa in late September and October. It
eventually leaves in April, although it rarely stays over winter.
Food
Most of its foraging is done by stealing food from other
birds, such as terns, gulls,
gannets,
petrels and shearwaters, often forcing
them down to the water so that they release their catch. It also captures prey
from the water surface, scavenges behind fishing vessels and kills and eats
small or weakened seabirds.
Threats
Not threatened.
References
-
Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ and Ryan PG 2005. Roberts
- Birds of southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker
Bird Book Fund, Cape Town.
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