From Opus

Phalcoboenus australis

Photo by Vernon Lundy

[edit] Identification

At birth the down is a striking orange or light reddish colour. In its first year it is very dark brown, almost black with brown flecking on neck. Primaries lighter brown. Legs, feet and face light grey, beak grey with tint of blue. Second year -flecking on neck becomes more obvious. Brown on primaries more rufous. Thin light grey line on top of beak. Third year - flecking spreads to lower neck and breast. Legs, feet and face tend towards yellowish orange, beak becomes more blue-grey. Fourth year - flecking loses brown colouration, becomes light grey. Flags appear reddish-brown. Tail feathers become white-tipped. Fifth year - flecking all light grey. Plumage all darker, losing brown highlights. White bars on the tail tip. Distinctly yellow to orange legs and feet. Face orange or salmon pink, beak clearly blue-grey. After that, the flecking becomes whiter with age.

[edit] Distribution

Falkland Islands and Tierra del Fuego. In decline in both areas and in the Falklands restricted to West Falkland and islands off the west coast, in the south of Falkland Sound and Sea Lion Island and Beauch�ne Islands south of East Falkland. In Tierra del Fuego found on the southern coast and on islands in the south of the Beagle Channel. Resident.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Habitat

Found on shorelines and scavenges in seabird colonies.

[edit] Behaviour

• Diet: Primarily a scavenger, it will attack weak or disabled creatures, even ones as large as a sheep. The diet includes land land and marine invertebrates, sometimes using its strong legs and blunt, strong claws to dig for them.

• Breeding: The nest is built on the ground or on a cliff ledge, and up to 4 eggs are laid.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.

• List of references

[edit] External Links