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The Birds Of South Gloucestershire          Long-tailed Skua - stercorarius longicaudus

 

Long-tailed Skua is the smallest of the Skua's at about 38cm in length excluding the elongated central tail feathers of the summer adult which can add another 20cm or so. On passage juvenile birds sometimes hunt small prey in ploughed fields or golf-courses and are typically quite fearless of humans. The word Skua is derived from the New Latin alteration of Faroese 'skuvur' and from the Old Norse 'skufr', tassel (a reference to the tail streamers), seagull.

 

There have been seven Long-tailed Skua reported from S. Gloucestershire;

 

2008: (1)

A dark or intermediate morph juvenile was reported flying downriver off Oldbury Power Station at around 11:45 and subsequently off New Passage at around mid-day on September 6th.  (Andy Middleton)

 

1994: (1)

An adult was seen on November 25th at New Passage, again at New Passage on November 26th and at Severn Beach on November 27th. (RJ Emery et al)

 

 

Long-tailed Skua at Severn Beach. November 1994. Paul Bowerman & Rich Andrews.

 

1991: (1)

An adult was watched on May 5th off New Passage in flight heading north-east. (A Hitchcock, Brian Lancastle)

 

1990: (1)

An adult was seen on September 20th off New Passage. (Paul Bowerman)

 

1988: (1)

On September 26th one was observed off Severn Beach, it then flew north-east to New Passage then heading south-west. (Paul Chadwick)

 

1983: (1)

On September 3rd one was seen off New Passage.

 

1981: (1)

A juvenile was located on October 4th off New Passage.

 

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