winters off the new zealand coasts

Size
Length: 50-58 cm, Weight: 600-900 g
Lifespan
15-20 years
Diet
Carnivorous and kleptoparasitic - feeds on lemmings on breeding grounds. Steals food from other seabirds at sea. Also eats fish carrion and seabird eggs.
Habitat
Open ocean and coastal waters. Breeds on Arctic tundra near coasts. Winters at sea in Southern Hemisphere often near continental shelves and fishing grounds.
Range
Breeds across Arctic Europe Asia and North America. Winters at sea in Southern Hemisphere off South America Africa Australia and New Zealand.
Endemism
Visitor
Main Threats
Climate change affecting Arctic breeding habitat and lemming populations. Incidental bycatch in fishing gear. Pollution at sea affecting food sources.
Population
Global population estimated at 100000-200000 breeding pairs. In New Zealand a regular summer visitor to offshore waters most commonly seen from North Island coast.
Conservation Status
data_deficient
Human Risk
caution
Handling Note
aggressive near nests, can dive-bomb and draw blood
Conservation Note
Rare vagrant to New Zealand waters from Arctic breeding grounds; not assessed for conservation status.
Te Ao Māori
The pomarine skua has no recognised Māori name. It is a regular visitor rather than a resident species. Skuas collectively were known to Māori as hakoakoa. These are birds of the open ocean. Their piratical behaviour and long-distance migrations made them birds of note. Their appearance was sometimes seen as an omen of changing weather at sea. The skua remains a symbol of the unpredictable. A harbinger of the shift. It links the land to the vast unknown water. Its presence commands respect. Not affection.
The largest and heaviest of the skuas. Built like a pirate ship. The pomarine skua is a big powerful bird. It has a heavy body. It has broad wings. It has a short tail. The central tail feathers are twisted and spoon-shaped. This is distinctive in flight. It looks like a skua designed for intimidation. The design works. In breeding plumage the bird is dark brown. It has a pale collar. It has a dark cap. There are two colour morphs. Dark and light. The dark morph is almost black. The light morph has a pale belly. The bird is variable. It is always aggressive. Variability does not soften the intent. It feeds on lemmings during the breeding season. A pomarine skua on the tundra is a rodent specialist. It hunts by hovering. Then it drops onto its prey. It is efficient. It is patient. Patience pays off when the prey is small and fast. The drop is calculated. The impact is final. At sea it becomes a pirate. It chases gulls and terns. It forces them to drop their catch. It also eats fish and carrion. It will steal from any bird smaller than itself. Size is the only law that matters here. Might makes right. The skua knows this. It acts on it. The flight is powerful and direct. Slow deep wingbeats drive it forward. A pomarine skua in a storm is in its element. It rides the wind. It tilts from one gust to the next. The chaos is its comfort zone. Stability is boring. Instability is opportunity. In New Zealand pomarine skuas are regular summer visitors. They arrive in October. They leave in April. They are seen offshore. Often from headlands and beaches. The North Island gets more sightings than the South. This is a matter of geography. And luck. The pomarine skua breeds in the Arctic. From Alaska to Russia. It winters in the Southern Hemisphere. Off South America. Off Africa. Off Australia. Off New Zealand. It crosses the equator twice a year. The journey is long. The bird is built for it. The population is stable. The pomarine skua is not endangered. Numbers hold steady. The Arctic provides. The oceans provide. The bird takes what it needs. It does not ask permission. The call is a harsh chattering 'kee-kee-kee'. It is often given in flight. It sounds like a warning. It is. The message is clear. Stay away. Or pay the price. The pomarine skua is named for the twisted tail feathers. 'Pomarine' means covered with a lid. The reference is obscure. The bird does not care. Names are for humans. Survival is for birds. In New Zealand it is a bird of the open ocean. It follows ships. It steals from other seabirds. It is a pirate. It does not apologise.