Chilean Skua vs South Polar Skua

Chilean Skua

Stercorarius chilensis

1.4 kgMarine

Chilean skuas tend to be dark on their back, flanks, and cheeks, and uniformly light underneath. The dark colour usually extends from their back across the upper chest to form a pectoral collar. The underside of their wings is characteristically cinnamon-coloured, but this colour can be rather dull in some individuals. All adults have a distinctive dark cap and prominent pale gold streaking on the face and neck. They have black legs, brown irises, and a small, bluish bill with a dark tip. Their wingspan is 130 to 138 cm. Voice: Very little information is available on the vocalizations of the Chilean skua. At the breeding colony, it performs a long-call which consists of ten to twelve short nasal barks. This call is seemingly unrelated to chick-rearing and has been described as almost goose-like due to its distinctly deep and hoarse nature. Other calls may include short guttural grunts.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Arthur Chapman · CC BY 2.0

South Polar Skua

Stercorarius maccormicki

1.3 kgMarine

The south polar skua is a large bird (though small compared to other skuas sometimes placed in Catharacta) that measures around 53 cm (21 in) in length. Adults are greyish brown above, and have a whitish (pale morph) or straw-brown (intermediate morph) head and underparts, and the contrast between head and body makes it easy to separate from similar species with good views. Juveniles and adult dark morphs are harder to distinguish from their relatives, and more subjective or difficult-to-observe criteria, such as the colder brown plumage and blue bill base, must be used.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by steve · Call · Cuverville Island, Antarctica · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Алексей Логинов · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Chilean Skua and South Polar Skua.