06.10.2018 – A solitary long-distance flyer

On Saturday we had the opportunity to go out to sea but there was already, on Sunday and especially on Monday, wind and a lot of rain announced. For the nature on the island however this is a blessing! Our guests on Saturday could observe Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) in the morning and Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the afternoon.

Although looking unimpressive, we were able to observe an interesting guest from our boat Stenella in the afternoon. This rare visit was a solitary long-distance flyer, the skua!

Skuas breed in polar to temperate-cold regions. Although most of the skuas return to the familiar areas in the next breeding season, four of the seven skuas are hibernating on the other side of the globe.

However, social interaction is not their thing. Although it may happen that they form small groups due to lack of space but here it seems to be more of a troublesome community of convenience. In this case, the older birds nest in the protected center, while the younger, more inexperienced animals must be content with the margins where the breeding succession is much less.

The Antarctic skua is record holder in two ways. This skua-gull breeds closer to the South Pole than any other vertebrate. And with the longest proven migration route among birds, it is the ultimate long distance flight specialist.

Skuas have an opportunistic nutritional style and thus secure a varied diet. They are fish hunters, egg thieves, scavengers and also plants are included in their menu. They are also real artists in the so-called Kleptoparasitism (what a word), which simply means that they let others hunt, to then take off their prey and disappear with the precious stolen goods.

Unlike other seabirds, skuas can also be observed in freshwater ponds and puddles. Drinking fresh water requires less energy for the bird’s body than processing saltwater.

As inconspicuous as this brown bird, which is to be classified in the order of the Charadriiformes, looked like it was a very interesting guest of Lobosonda.

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day 

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Striped dolphins

15:00 Bottlenose dolphins

Stenella

10:00 Striped dolphins

15:00 Bottlenose dolphins