The family Stercorariidae includes skuas and jaegers. They are medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They have longish bills with a hooked tip, and webbed feet with sharp claws. They look like large dark gulls, but have a fleshy cere above the upper mandible. The skuas are strong, acrobatic fliers. They are generally aggressive in disposition. The three smaller species (jaegers) nest in the Holarctic region. Breeding jaegers
have the two central tail feathers elongated, and at least some adults have white on the underparts and pale yellow on the neck. These characteristics are not shared by the skuas. The skuas are often split into two genera, with only the smaller species retained in Stercorarius, and the large species placed in Catharacta. Outside the breeding season, skuas take fish, and carrion. Many are partial kleptoparasites chasing gulls, terns, and other seabirds to steal their catches. Photo: Chilean Skua. ©Dfaulder.
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JACANIDAE: Jacanas – Tuqui Tuquis