15/05/2026
๐ The Scottish Animal World Cup continues!
Todayโs match sees the great skua take on the small tortoiseshell butterfly. You decide who goes through to the next round, so get your votes in now!
โLikeโ for the great skua, โloveโ for the small tortoiseshell butterfly.
The great skua - or bonxie - has a fierce reputation. Nicknamed the โpirate of the seaโ, this powerful seabird is known for stealing food from other birds - but Scotland is home to most of the worldโs great skuas, and weโre working hard to help their numbers recover after avian flu. You can spot them at places in our care including Canna NTS, Fair Isle, Iona, Mingulay, Pabbay & Berneray, St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve NTS, St Kilda, Staffa and the Treshnish Isles.
The small tortoiseshell butterfly offers a very different kind of challenge. With its bright orange wings edged with blue markings, it's a familiar sight in gardens and grasslands, and often one of the first butterflies to emerge in spring. Its caterpillars feed on nettles, while adults enjoy nectar from a wide range of flowers. You might spot them at places in our care including Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve NTS, Greenbank Garden NTS and Inveresk Lodge Garden NTS.
This yearโs competition is helping us shine a light on our Plan for Nature - our long-term commitment to protect and restore nature across the places in our care. From wetlands and woodlands to coasts, rivers and open landscapes, healthy habitats are vital if species like these are to thrive in the future.
So, who gets your vote? Voting for this match closes tomorrow.