Parasitic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticus
Track and Watch 2
This species is one of the 'track and watch' species in the Yukon as it is rare, threatened or both. If you see this species please take a photo (if you can), note where you are and either upload it to iNaturalist or send it straight to the Conservation Data Centre (CDC) by downloading a Field Observation Form for animals or by using your own method or reporting, and sending it to us: yukoncdc@gov.yk.ca
Summary 3
Parasitic jaegers are relatively small (44cm/17in), weighing about 450 grams, but they have talons strong enough to catch and hold other birds. Adults have dark caps and white panels on their primaries, which are visible dorsally and ventrally when the wings are outstretched. Adults also have blunt tails with several pointed tail feathers that emerge from the center. These longer tail feathers are not present in juveniles. Juveniles are dark with bars in their plumage, they often pale as they age. Female parasitic jaegers are generally larger than males. Females generally prefer males smaller than themselves. Several studies have demonstrated that parasitic jaeger males prefer pale females and females prefer melanistic males, even if pale males have higher fitness.
Habitat and ecology 4
This marine species is predominately coastal but will migrate over land. Most or all of its food will be obtained by kleptoparasitism (stealing) when nesting near other seabird colonies, otherwise its diet can include microtine rodents, adult and fledgling passerines, wader chicks, birds eggs, insects and berries. Breeding begins in May or June, occuring later in the north then the south. It is either colonial at seabird sites or widely scattered accross the tundra where it is territorial (del Hoyo et al. 1996).
Sources and Credits
- (c) Andreas Trepte, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/30394895@N00/6045326399/
- (c) Yukon Conservation Data Centre, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
- Adapted by Yukon Conservation Data Centre from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31424365
- Adapted by Yukon Conservation Data Centre from a work by (c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31273030
More Info
Range Map
iNaturalist.ca Map
| Animal | Bird |
|---|---|
| Color | grey, white |
| Bird | gull, jaeger |
