Tropical Audubon Society

South Florida’s Voice of Conservation

I hope to go see it soon, especially since the bird has not been 100% ID'd as a South Polar Skua. It may be another species. The only one we can safely rule out is Chilean Skua, but some aspects of this bird are similar to Brown and/or Great Skua. I compared a photo of of the bird in flight with one of a Great Skua off Mass. and the back, wings, head, and neck look identical! It may just be a molting or worn South Polar, but may be something even rarer.