Chilean Skua

About the 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.

The Chilean skua is part of Charadriiformes, a large order of seabirds that includes gulls, terns, jaegers, skuas, and auks. It is a member of the small Stercorariidae family, which comprises terns and skuas. There is some disagreement regarding the genus-level classification of this species. It was previously classified into Catharacta along with the Falkland skua and the south polar skua, but all skuas have now been merged into the larger Stercorarius genus.

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