"Large pirate craft" — a translation of megalestris, is a perfect description of these buccaneers. They are rare on this side of the Atlantic and I have seen only two, gliding like ghosts thru Georges' fog. On land the posture is Gull-like — in the air, resembling our large Hawks with a Falcon hint in wing-strokes.
Altho bullies, they possess undaunted courage, and have been known to attack the Golden Eagle. Appearance of these sinister bandits over nesting colonies throws them into wild alarm which neither bothers nor diverts the SKUA from its death mission. A young bird is calmly killed and either torn to bits on the spot or transported for Skua children's meals!
Coasts and islands of North Atlantic. South rarely to Long Island, N.Y.