Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua is Mew Gull sized bird. Has two color morphs. The adult birds of light morph have blackish-brown crown. Head-flanks and hind-neck are with elongated bristle-shaped pale-yellow feathers. Upper-head is dark-brownish. Throat, breast and belly are white; flanks and undertail are gray-brownish. Tail feathers are dark-brown; the central pair (elongated and pointed feathers) are grayish tinged. Dark morph birds are dark-brownish with yellowish cheeks; head, wings and tail are darker than rest parts. Bill and legs are blackish. Eyes are dark-brown. Young birds are brownish above with broad buffy edges of feathers. Underparts are with abrupt white, brownish and buffy strips. Bill is grey on base and black on tip. Legs are grayish-blue with partial black webs. Sizes: wing 290-395, tarsus 42-45, bill 25-37 mm. Weight: Tengiz, male 480 grams, Mangyshlak, female 498 grams.

Arctic Skua is rare passage migrant. Occurs on coasts Caspian Sea and Aral Sea and on large salty lakes. In spring records in April - May, the summer observations in June - July probably indicated to non-breeding birds. In autumn Arctic Skua recorded more often than in spring, in end of August - October.