Long-tailed Jaeger

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Seabirds | Jaegers and Skuas|Long-tailed Jaeger

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New England Seabirds

Long-tailed Jaeger
Stercorarius longicaudus

Breeding plumage Long-tailed Jaeger photographed in Nome, alaska by Emmalee Tarry. One of the lasting memories of my first trip to Nome were the pairs of Long-tailed Jaeger swooping over the Kugerak Road.

Other Names
Long-tailed Skua (Europe)

Distribution
Northern hemisphere breeder on arctic trundra. Circumpolar in the arctic with the exception of area from Greenland to the Murman Peninsula of north Russia (3).When not breeding migrates to the southern oceans.
Breeding Characteristics
Breeds on tundra. Exhibits mate and site fidelity. On breeding ground feeds on lemmings. Switches to other prey when lemmings are scarce in the breeding site.

Feeding
Feeds on rodents especially lemmings which it hunts by hovering on breeding grounds. Also insects, berries, chicks and eggs of other birds. Also preys on small birds both on the breeding grounds and at sea.

At sea practices kleptoparasitism especially on Kittiwakes.

Where To See
Rarely seen on Stellwagen Bank pelagic trips usually in fall. Not easy to identify as it will usually be an immature bird. More likely on west coast pelagic trips. To see the bird on the breeding grounds go to Nome, Alaska.

Pelagic Identification

Leonard Medlock photograph of Parasitic Jaeger left and Long-tailed Jaeger on the right. Photograph taken on 9/8/09.

Long-tailed Jaeger photographed by Dave Larson.