Pomarine Skua

🔍 Overview

A powerful seabird seen offshore during migration. Rare but regular in Sussex seawatches. Passage migrant in variable numbers in spring; usually scarce; very scarce in autumn; rare in winter.

🪶 Key Identification Features

Bulky skua with two twisted tail feathers in adults

Pale, dark, or intermediate plumages

Barrel-chested and aggressive

🗺️ Habitat & Distribution

Best viewed during seawatches at Worthing Beaches, Goring Gap, and Brighton Marina in April–May and November.

🎶 Voice & Behaviour

Usually silent. Chases gulls and terns for food (kleptoparasitism); can be dramatic to watch.