The three smaller species of skua are now called Jaegers, a sort of "trade-off" with our friends in the USA, as the others remain as skuas.
The largest of the three and well known to European birders from its southbound migrations from breeding grounds in the High Arctic. It is not quite circumpolar, being seemingly absent from
Greenland and parts of northern Scandinavia, but does breed in Alaska, Canada, Norway and Russia on suitable tundra areas. An offshore migration takes small flocks south as far as southern
South America, Cape Horn and Australia, it winters coastally but well offshore. Its nearest relative is Great Skua, it has the bulk but not the short tail, a sort of link between the two groups.
Taken Cley-next-the-sea Norfolk Nov. 2007
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