Animal profile

Great Skua

Stercorarius skua

AvesNorth Atlantic open ocean, breeding on moorland and coastal grasslandLeast Concern

Field profile

The great skua, known in Scotland as the bonxie, is a heavy brown seabird with pale wing flashes. It breeds on northern moorland and spends the rest of the year at sea. It takes food by piracy, predation and scavenging in roughly equal measure.

Published field notes

2025-12-10

Great Skua

The great skua robs gannets in mid-air

A bonxie will grab a gannet by the wingtip or tail in flight and hold on until the larger bird gives up its catch. The skua is smaller than its victim, and the tactic works through persistence and grip rather than through size.

Read with evidence →