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- Stercorarius antarctica
Identification
Distribution
Falklands and Southern Argentina from Chubut to Tierra del Fuego.
Taxonomy
Brown Skua (which is also known as Southern Skua or Subantarctic Skua) has three subspecies: antarcticus breeds in the Falkland Islands, and south-east South America; hamiltoni breeds on Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island; and lonnbergi on the Antarctic Peninsula and around e.g., New Zealand. The subspecies lonnbergi has been treated as a full species Stercorarius lonnbergi by some authorities. Older texts and some current field guides will treat Brown Skua as a part of Great Skua.
Habitat
Behaviour
Breeding: Oct-Nov onwards, on flat grassy areas or short grass heaths. Nest is an unlined or sparsely so, scrape. 1-2 eggs, incubated 28-32 days, young leave nest within 1-2 days and fledge in 40-50 days. Sexual maturity at six years.
Diet: Scavenger at refuse tips, predates penguin eggs and chicks and burrow nesting seabirds at night.
