Pomarine Skua - right? | 2020 march 8 | 12km off Izu Oshima Island, Japan (1 Viewer)

[HouseCrow]

An early-season search of seabirds in my archive made me return to this set of photos of a skua some 12 km NE of Izu Oshima Island, Japan on March 8, 2020. (close to the southern tip of the Boso or Chiba peninsula)

I think it is a Pomarine Skua but I have little experience with skuas and would love to see your opinion on this.

I would think it is a fairly bulky bird, with a longish tail, a white shaft to the outer primaries, a light belly, mottled rump.

PS. The record says two birds. The last photo added looks a bit strange with that wedge-tail... Is that ok for Pomarine or...

record at observation.org

Hope to hear from you.

cheers
Gerben

 

[HouseCrow]

Wow....is the photo impossible to id or....no replies yet....

Sorry for the push, but surely something can be said.

Cheers,
G

 

[Ratal]

Let me have a wee look! Give me a moment here.

 

[Ratal]

Yes. Deep powerful chest, tail, wing flash - I would absolutely have listed this as Pomarine

The attached pic is a great example of their powerful bulk.

 

[HouseCrow]

Thanks Ratal, I hate these bumps but well you know... I was not sure what to make of it when I first checked the photo (not during the trip itself).
Pomarine is -I understand- the commonest of skuas in the area, but you never know.

I will remove the ? in the recorder

cheers,
Gerben