Pomarine Jaeger

The pomarine jaeger, or pomarine skua, is a large jaeger, 46–67cm long including the tail streamers of breeding adults, with a wingspan of 110–138cm and a weight of 540–920g. It is bulkier, broader-winged and less falcon-like than the parasitic jaeger, with a more measured flight, and shows the same light, dark and intermediate morphs; light adults have a brown back, white underparts, a black cap and a white flash on the primaries. It is thought to be closer to the great skuas than to the smaller jaegers, and shares their wing-raising display (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds on Arctic tundra and islands, laying two or three eggs in a grass-lined hollow, and will dive at people who approach the nest. It eats fish, carrion, scraps, smaller birds and rodents, especially lemmings, and robs gulls, terns and even gannets of their catches throughout the year. After breeding it migrates to winter at sea in the tropical oceans. SoIB 2023 lists it as a winter migrant in Indian waters but gives no trend or priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).