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Rare Pirate Bird Steals Show in Sundarbans
7 Sep
Summary
- An Arctic Skua, known as a pirate bird, was sighted in the Sundarbans.
- The bird steals food from other seabirds using kleptoparasitism.
- This marks the second recorded appearance of the Arctic Skua in Bengal.
An Arctic Skua, a rare seabird known for its unusual feeding behavior, has been sighted in the Sundarbans. This marks only the second documented appearance of the species, locally called 'Jaladashyu Pakhi' or pirate bird, in Bengal. The bird employs kleptoparasitism, a strategy where it chases other seabirds like gulls and terns to force them to drop their prey, then snatches the fallen food.
This sighting is significant for the birding community in Bengal, with the previous record being in October 2019. While occasional sightings have occurred on India's western coast, its presence on the eastern coast is notably rare. Arctic Skuas are long-distance migrants that breed in the northern hemisphere and winter in the south.
Their presence in the Sundarbans, though infrequent, is attributed to their migratory patterns. They are often considered passage migrants or storm-blown vagrants during the monsoon and post-monsoon periods in the delta region. The Arctic Skua is also known as the parasitic jaeger, a name reflecting its aggressive aerial pursuits and parasitic feeding habits.
