SP Skua or Pom? Bocas, Panama (1 Viewer)

[Kratter]

This bird was photographed today in Bocas del Toro, Panama. South Polar Skua is very rare in the country; pomarine is fairly common. The pics show shape okay but few fieldmarks. When I first saw it, it appeared huge, very broad-winged, and short tailed. It was mainly dark brown ventrally and dorsally. I never saw the bill well. No tail projections, but many poms here now have lost central rectrices.

Thanks,
Andy Kratter

 

[Kratter]

No replies in 24 hours? I know the photo is pretty awful, but those with lots of experience should have an idea of whether this is a South Polar Skua or a Pomarine Jaeger. I could use a little enlightenment.

Andy

 

[birdboybowley]

Hi Kratter - only jus seen this pic

Looks like SP Skua for me

 

[AStevenson]

Difficult to be sure from the photo but it looks more like great skua (our equivalent of South Polar) on shape so it probably is - the only nagging doubt I have (and it may be photo effect) is that the tail looks a little full and longish - an imm pom with moulting central tail feathers could possibly have a tail like this. (there is a suggestion of missing inner primaries on the lower wing so the bird may well be in moult).

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[birderbf]

My first impression was South Polar Skua as well(it's shaped like an eagle or a GBBG! Nice broad wings, short tail, etc), but I lack the experience to tell you with more confidency and the guts to guess first . I think asking the ID frontiers was a good idea, they know what they're doing.

 

[AlexC]

I think asking the ID frontiers was a good idea, they know what they're doing.

Truuuth.

 

[skbirder]

Based on structure it looks definitely like a SP/Great Skua type rather than Pom.

 

[rosbifs]

Great or SP for me too....

 

[Jane Turner]

Its not a Pom... that is as far as I can go

 

[rosbifs]

British Birds did a massive feature on these last year.

 

[tyrannulet]

I would go SP skua, you can make out the white marks on the wing that would indicate a SPskua. Other than that, just the overall appearance is just not right for a pom.


ps, forgot you people dont call them jaegers, almost just said skua and would have left out the SP and probably confused most of you 3

 

[Phil Bishop]

Best that can be said is that its not a Pom, but the image not good enough to tell between South Polar/Great/Brown.

 

[Frogdoondey]

I lived in Bocas. We had several resident? Pomarine and Parasitic Jeagers. Only once I saw wath I belived a SP Skua.

 

[jogresh]

Hello, are you sure this is any skua/jaeger? Coz the shape looks wrong to me? I guess i could just about stretch to SPS?

 

[jogresh]

Ah! Just seen the other thread! Definitely not Pom then!

 

[birderbf]

My first impression was South Polar Skua as well(it's shaped like an eagle or a GBBG! Nice broad wings, short tail, etc), but I lack the experience to tell you with more confidency and the guts to guess first . I think asking the ID frontiers was a good idea, they know what they're doing.

Just to clarify, when I posted this I was under the impression that Bocas del Toro was on the Pacific side of the country. I don't have any experience with the skuas/jaegers, so I would have said "SP/Great/Brown" had I known.