December 5, 2008
Inhabiting the Falklands coast and regions of Argentina is the Falkland Skua. Fully mature adults weigh between 32 and 56 ounces (900 and 1,600 g). In the wild, adults live up to 10 years of age. Length ranges from 19 to 21 inches (48 to 53 cm). Females are slightly larger than males. Skua often exhibits acts of kleptoparasitism, stealing food from other birds. Breeding season occurs from November through January in areas free of snow. Adults use depressions in grasslands as nesting sites. Some mating pairs nest in solitary while others form temporary colonies during mating season. Females lay a clutch of two eggs with an incubation period lasting approximately one month. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs. Several days after hatching, chicks leave the nest. The baby birds are ready to fly after one month. Hatchlings take six years to reach sexual maturity.
