Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

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Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 21 inches.

Light Form: Back and wings gray-brown. Head white with a black crown, the dark crown dipping to include the eye. Apical feathers of wing streaked with white. Breast and sides gray. Undersides white. Tail trapezoidal with the two apical feathers projecting and sharply pointed.

Dark Form: Similar to the light form, but the head and undersides are uniformly dark.

Similar Species:  The Pomarine Jaeger is similar to the Parasitic Jaeger, but is slightly larger and stouter bird. More importantly the two apical tail feathers are rounded at their tips and slightly spooned shaped.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Parasitic Jaeger breeds throughout the tundra regions of Alaska and northern Canada. The species is also found in the arctic regions of Europe and Asia.

Overwintering Range:  This species overwinters on the tropical waters of the Southern Hemisphere.

Habitat: The Parasitic Jaeger is found on grassy tundra and the shores of arctic lakes during the breeding season. The species is found on open, warm oceans of the Southern Hemisphere during the winter.

Food: During the breeding season small mammals, birds, eggs, seabird nestlings, and carrion. Overwintering birds fish.

Behavior: The Parasitic Jaeger, like other jaegers, harrases gulls to make them drop food they might have found. During the breeding season they are aggresive predators on lemmings and birds. The Parasitic Jaeger is usually quiet, but makes a variety of crying sounds during the breeding season. This species spends most of its time on the open ocean outside of the breeding season.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 2 brown-spotted olive-brown eggs. The eggs are laid in a nest lined with grass located on open ground or placed among rocks.