Stercorarius chilensis
Silhouette: Liam Quinn (photo) and Albertonykus (silhouette) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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.
There are some... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montevideo | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | |
| 2 | Lima | 🇵🇪 Peru |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Chilean Skua sighting in Montevideo on a given day, based on 88 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 87th most-seen of the 178 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chilean Skua in Montevideo on a given day, against under 5% in September to April, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chilean Skua sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Chilean Skua sightings, Montevideo has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Lima (Peru, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chilean Skua is recorded against all the birds logged in Montevideo (88 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
