Chilean skua

The Chilean skua, also known as the cinnamon skua (Stercorarius chilensis), is a large predatory seabird, which breeds in Argentina and Chile, but ranges as far north as Brazil and Peru when not breeding. A relatively distinctive skua, it has a dark cap that contrasts with its cinnamon throat and lower face. Hybrids with the Falkland skua are known from southern Argentina.

Chilean skuas feed on fish and other seabirds, as well as scraps, and carrion. They breed in colonies during the Southern Hemisphere summer.

Overall, little is known about this South American species and what is known largely comes from descriptive studies scattered through time and concentrated at a few select breeding colonies.

Chilean skuas tend to be dark on their back, flanks, and cheeks, and uniformly light underneath. The dark colour usually extends from their back across the upper chest to form a pectoral collar. The underside of their wings is characteristically cinnamon-coloured, but this colour can be rather dull in some individuals. All adults have a distinctive dark cap and prominent pale gold streaking on the face and neck. They have black legs, brown irises, and a small, bluish bill with a dark tip. Their wingspan is 130 to 138 cm.

Juveniles tend to be brighter-colored than the adults, with no light streaking. They are also strongly capped but often lack the pectoral collar found in older birds.

The Chilean skua could be confused with the Falkland skua, but it appears much more slender and compact in flight, with distinctive red coloration and white crescents on the wings.