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prettygoodwordskua (SKYOO-uh) - n., any of several large predatory gull-like birds of the genus Stercorarius (formerly Catharacta) of colder waters of both the northern and southern seas.
Noted for harassing other birds and stealing their food, though they can hunt for themselves. Most closely related to the jaegers, which are smaller -- though that's an Americanism, as in the UK those are also called skuas. The word, which dates from the 1670s, comes from Faroese name skú(g)vur for the great skua (Stercorarius skua), after the island of Skúvoy (from Old Norse skūfr tassel/tuft) which renowned for its colony of that bird. The general Faroese term for skuas is kjógvi. A great skua:
Thanks, WikiMedia!
And that's another bird week taking off. Back next week with the usual random assortment.
---L.
Noted for harassing other birds and stealing their food, though they can hunt for themselves. Most closely related to the jaegers, which are smaller -- though that's an Americanism, as in the UK those are also called skuas. The word, which dates from the 1670s, comes from Faroese name skú(g)vur for the great skua (Stercorarius skua), after the island of Skúvoy (from Old Norse skūfr tassel/tuft) which renowned for its colony of that bird. The general Faroese term for skuas is kjógvi. A great skua:
Thanks, WikiMedia!
And that's another bird week taking off. Back next week with the usual random assortment.
---L.
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