interesting "white-headed" skuas close inshore, Punakaiki

[andrewcrossland]

Hi team,

I spent some time sea watching over the last two days on the coastline between Punakaiki and Fox River, West Coast. Not many seabirds seen but a good number of skuas.

The usual dark and light phase Arctics were the most numerous, but there were also 3 white-headed pale phase skuas in a plumage I've not encountered before. I'm thinking unusually pale adult non-breeding pale morph Arctics but there's also plumage and structural features that seem to pretty closely resemble adult non-breeding pale morph Long-tailed Skua. Thoughts?

And are others seeing these around coastal NZ lately or did the weather push them close to shore?

Arctic Skua Fox River 11.jpg (90.76 KiB) Viewed 818 times

Arctic Skua Fox River 12.jpg (81.53 KiB) Viewed 818 times

Arctic Skua Fox River 13.jpg (77.98 KiB) Viewed 818 times

more pics to follow

[andrewcrossland]

the first 2 below and the previous one are the same bird. The 3rd one below is a different bird.

Arctic Skua Fox River 14.jpg (81.77 KiB) Viewed 814 times

Arctic Skua Fox River 15.jpg (94.01 KiB) Viewed 814 times

Arctic Skua Fox River 16.jpg (92.01 KiB) Viewed 814 times

[andrewcrossland]

some more pics - you'll see that although one of the birds (shown in the first 2 pics above), looked smaller than Arctic Skuas and stockier, the other two were relatively large (when compared to White-fronted terns).... Location of wing flashes were different too.

Arctic Skua Fox River 17.jpg (17.76 KiB) Viewed 810 times

Then next shots are before, and after, the tern's fish was seized by the smaller than the 2 skuas.

Arctic Skua Fox River 18.jpg (38.41 KiB) Viewed 810 times

Arctic Skua Fox River 20.jpg (58.1 KiB) Viewed 809 times

[andrewcrossland]

final pics..... this might be a 4th bird and more like a normal adult non-breeding plumaged Arctic.

Arctic Skua Fox River 21.jpg (42.25 KiB) Viewed 802 times

and two examples of the other Arctic Skuas present

Arctic Skua Fox River 1.jpg (18.28 KiB) Viewed 802 times

Arctic Skua Fox River 4.jpg (36.68 KiB) Viewed 802 times

[sav]

HI AC,

There was a very similar bird in Queen Charlotte Sound at the end of November. It looked different enough to make me think twice about the species - but it certainly was an Arctic Skua (as I believe all yours are?). I've never seen anything like it before.

cheers