Skuas killing gulls

[Trevor Quested <>]

Mark Hardwick from the UK writes:

>I have noticed such behaviour in Britain on several occasions. A couple of
>examples:
>
>In winter 1987 a Pomarine Skua spent a few days at Staines Reservoir in west
>London (a long way inland). This bird invariably fed by killing gulls,
>mostly Black-headed but also Common Gulls. The method of killing always
>seemed to be drowning - the Pom would over-power a gull and then "sit on it"
>holding it underwater until it drowned.
>
>I observed an Arctic Skua behaving in an almost identical fashion off the
>north Norfolk coast in September 1990 and a Pom Skua, again inland, on the
>River Thames at Rainham in winter 1988.
>
>Hope this is helpful
>
>Cheers
>
>
>Mark Hardwick, London.
>
>
Trevor Quested & Annie Young
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