- Stercorarius antarctica
Identification
Size: 52-64 cm, wing 35.5-40.2 cm, wingspan 126-160 cm, females on average are larger in most measurements, most noticeably in wing length.
Distribution
Falklands and Southern Argentina from Chubut to Tierra del Fuego.
Taxonomy
Brown Skua (which is also known as Southern Skua, Subantarctic Skua or Falkland 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.
This species has been placed in the genus Catharacta with the other large skuas (Sibley & Monroe, 1993; Clements, 2000).
Habitat
Pelagic.
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.
