Two pomarine skuas? Offshore, Maine (1 Viewer)

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Thibaud

Well-known member

• Jul 12, 2018

• #1

Two skuas. Offshore, Maine

Hello,

I was on a whale watching trip this morning in the pelagic waters off northeastern Maine (in fact, I believe we entered Canadian waters at some point!) and these two skuas came to check us out.
Are they both Poms?

Thanks in advance,

T

 

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Last edited: Jul 12, 2018

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tom baxter

Well-known member

• Jul 12, 2018

• #2

I’m not necessarily very good at these but I think the first one is pom and the second one is parasitic (arctic)

 

Mark Lew1s

My real name is Mark Lewis

• Jul 12, 2018

• #3

Why not long-tailed skua for the second bird? Small bill, white in primaries restricted to two outer shafts etc.

 

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SteveClifton

Well-known member

• Jul 12, 2018

• #4

Fat Paul Scholes said:

Why not long-tailed skua for the second bird? Small bill, white in primaries restricted to two outer shafts etc.

Click to expand...

I was thinking the same, and why not Long-tailed for the first bird also? Both appear to have short bills (harder to judge on the first bird due to angle) with roughly equal distribution of black tip and greyer basal half.

I'm not getting a Pom vibe from either image. The first is surely between Arctic/Parasitic and Long-tailed, with the grey-tones (hind-neck in particular) and round-tipped central tail feathers favouring Long-tailed.

 

Last edited: Jul 12, 2018

Mark Lew1s

My real name is Mark Lewis

• Jul 12, 2018

• #5

Good point - never even looked at the first one!

 

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skbirder

Well-known member

• Jul 12, 2018

• #6

Agree with Long-tailed Skua for both.

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Jul 12, 2018

• #7

I'm wondering what age they are - presumably first-summer, perhaps second-summer?

 

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Thibaud

Well-known member

• Jul 12, 2018

• #8

Haha wow I really am bad at those, but long-tailed is a lifer, so that's nice!
Thanks to the experts!

Here is one more photo of each bird, seen directly from below.

T

 

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TLeukering

Well-known member

• Jul 20, 2018

• #9

They appear to be one-year-olds, as neither has any unmarked, grayish-brown underwing coverts.