Chilean Skua

The Chilean skua, also known as the cinnamon skua, is a large, predatory seabird with a striking appearance. It boasts a dark cap that contrasts sharply with its cinnamon throat and lower face, creating a distinctive profile among its peers.

Identification Tips

Adult Chilean skuas are characterized by their dark backs, flanks, and cheeks, with a lighter underside. A pectoral collar of dark coloration extends across the upper chest. Their wingspan ranges from 130 to 138 cm, and they possess a small, bluish bill with a dark tip, black legs, and brown irises. The underside of their wings is a cinnamon hue, which can vary in intensity. Juveniles are brighter and lack the pale gold streaking of adults, but they share the dark cap and absence of a pectoral collar.

Habitat

This species is found along the coastal regions of South America, preferring sandy coastlines with beached kelp and freshwater streams. They are also associated with southern hake fisheries in the fjords and channels of southern Chile.

Distribution

Endemic to South America, the Chilean skua breeds in Argentina and Chile and extends its range to Brazil and Peru when not breeding. Exceptionally, one individual was sighted on Inaccessible Island in the southern Atlantic.

Behaviour

Chilean skuas are known to breed in colonies during the Southern Hemisphere summer. They exhibit aggressive behavior towards intruders, including other skuas, and may use deceptive tactics such as feigning injury to avoid conflict.

Song & Calls

The vocal repertoire of the Chilean skua is not well-documented. However, at breeding colonies, they emit a long-call consisting of ten to twelve short nasal barks, reminiscent of a goose's call, along with short guttural grunts.

Diet and Feeding

Chilean skuas are opportunistic scavengers, feeding on fish, other seabirds, scraps, carrion, and even stealing fish from other birds. They are also predators of various seabird species and their eggs and chicks.

Breeding

The breeding season occurs from November to February or March. Skuas form colonies, with breeding adults occupying the center and non-breeding individuals on the periphery. They lay two eggs per clutch, which are incubated for 28 to 32 days. Chicks camouflage themselves in the sand and kelp to avoid predators.

Similar Species

The Falkland skua is similar in appearance but can be distinguished by the Chilean skua's more slender build, distinctive red coloration, and white crescents on the wings in flight.

Conservation status

The Chilean skua is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it does not face any immediate threat of extinction.