I recently had the opportunity to take a look at a Long-tailed Skua (Sterocarius longicaudus, Falkenraubmöwe) in Illmitz, at the eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl. I didn't connect with
this arctic breeding bird since twelve years in Austria, so I was exceptionally glad to see it hunting and resting up very close. In fact, the bird didn't bother birdwatchers and passers-by at
all, resting just besides the footpath. Even though it hunted very effectively (skuas are parasitic and snatch prey from gulls and terns), it made an exhausted impression when on the
ground.
Long-tailed Skua is a rare visitor to Austria, with single records every year, mostly of juveniles. This bird is in its third calendar-year, so close to adult plumage.
