Mid 19th century. After German Raubmöwe, named in allusion to its habits of attacking other seabirds of for their catches of and robbing their nests of eggs and young.
Definition of robber gull in US English:
robber gull
noun
A skua or jaeger.
Origin
Mid 19th century. After German Raubmöwe, named in allusion to its habits of attacking other seabirds of for their catches of and robbing their nests of eggs and young.