Brown Skua (corrected)

Gallery: AvianPosted January 20, 2011110 views7 comments

Olympus E-3, 300mm, laying on ground
f5, 1/1000, ISO200

This was identified to me - twice - as an immature Striated Caracara, endemic to the Falkland Islands. After a long morning with on-line ID tools, that can't possibly be right. It's almost certainly a Brown Skua. I apologize for myself and Polar Expeditions' bird guide.

Full frame. Selective sharpening. The low shrubbery is called Deedle Dee, a cousin of Blackberry.

C & C, please. Thanks for looking.

Comments

7 comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on January 20, 2011 at 11:08 PM

Looks more like a gull than a raptor - I like the habitat and the casual look.

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Etienne Artigau on January 20, 2011 at 11:10 PM

Hi Jim,

your bird looks more like a Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus antarcticus) than a Striated Caracara. The Caracara has bare skin between the eye and the bill and the bill is much shorter.

Regardless of the ID of the bird, this is a really nice shot with an impressive amount of details. The larger photo is especially impressive.

Étienne

Registered on January 17, 2006, 55 Posts, 104 Comments

Comment posted by Sally King on January 21, 2011 at 12:09 AM

I love the low perspective. That bill is very neat too. I certainly have no idea what this bird is but I think it's a great image of it. I might crop a bit off the top.

Registered on December 2, 2008, 416 Posts, 4450 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on January 21, 2011 at 12:18 AM

Great job on this one, Jim. Odd looking beak for a Caracara. It reminds me of a Skua or Jaeger. I suspect you grabbed the wrong image.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Monica Siri on January 21, 2011 at 9:48 AM

Beautiful image, Jim.
Great DOF, detail and setting.

I agree with others about the ID.

Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on January 21, 2011 at 5:55 PM

Jim,

Love the great low angle, how well you handled the exposure and all of the included habitat. Nice details, sharpness and a fine view of the eye. I'm loving these photos from your trip.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Albert Darmo on January 21, 2011 at 9:56 PM

Hi Jim

Thanks for sharing this unusual bird with us{ unusual to me} Great habitat and sharp detail,especially that beak!!
Albert Darmo. Canada

Registered on November 25, 2008, 1386 Posts, 11978 Comments