Skua sp - Devon, UK (1 Viewer)

[Kev Rylands]

Hi all

Would welcome thoughts and particularly ID pointers for the attached taken at Dawlish Warren last week.

Photographer and others asked thought Arctic but called a Pomarine by someone who had the bird in flight earlier.

Klaus Malling Olsen has also said this is a Pomarine (2nd hand info & no reasons for his ID available) but that conclusion goes against his own book, especially the pale tips to the primaries, so thoroughly confused here!!

An educational bird if only we knew why!

 

[Ratal]

Juvenile Pomarine - That stunning barring, the wing flashes, build - I'd have to jot that down as a Pomarine if I were the finder.

 

[Ratal]

Here is an example of the barring and size / shape of head and bill - a Juv Pomarine

 

[THE_FERN]

What rules out Arctic here? The bill looks very fine (e.g. as compared with your pomarine pic)

 

[smiths]

It is an Arctic indeed. The bill is way too thin for Pomarine, and all of the greater and median coverts (including the outer feathers) show prominent pale tips.