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Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudusOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)
Codes: Common Name: LTJA Scientific Name: STELON ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176794
Least Concern
 
Long-tailed Jaeger
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The orange "blossum" replaces the lid of a jelly jar.
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Hex shaped nectar feeds several Orioles. Nectar kept in fridge.
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Overview

Long-tailed Jaeger: Small jaeger with gray upperparts, white breast, gray belly. Black cap covers eyes, crosses chin and ends at yellow nape. Upperwings are dark-edged. Tail is gray with black edges and long, black streamers. Legs are blue-gray and toes are webbed. Hovers before dipping for prey.

Range and Habitat

Long-tailed Jaeger: Breeds from Alaska to Greenland and south to the northern Ungava Peninsula. Spends winters off the coasts of the southern U.S. and South America. Nests on Arctic tundra. Spends winters over open ocean, usually staying offshore, and very rarely found inland.

Topo Map: Gull-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"phew-phew-phew"

Interesting Facts

 On migration, Long-tailed Jaegers are more likely to catch their own food, and less likely to steal from gulls and terns than larger species.

 Juvenile birds sometimes hunt small prey in ploughed fields or golf-courses, and are typically quite fearless of humans.

 This bird feeds mainly on lemmings, and numbers fluctuate with the food supply.

 A group of skuas are collectively known as a "shishkab" of skuas.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

Splitbar
Range Map for Long-tailed Jaeger

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Family Skuas and Jaegers (Laridae)_blue
Species Stercorarius longicaudus
Length20 - 23 Inches
Wingspan31.5 Inches

Long-tailed Jaeger

Long-tailed Jaeger: Small jaeger with gray upperparts, white breast, gray belly. Black cap covers eyes, crosses chin and ends at yellow nape. Upperwings are dark-edged. Tail is gray with black edges and long, black streamers. Legs are blue-gray and toes are webbed. Hovers before dipping for prey.

● Song: "phew-phew-phew"

● Foraging & Feeding: Long-tailed Jaeger: Feeds heavily on lemmings and voles on its breeding grounds. Also eats fish, squid, insects, birds, bird eggs, berries, carrion, and refuse. Sometimes chases other birds to steal food.

● Breeding & nesting: Long-tailed Jaeger: Two brown to olive eggs with dark brown and gray blotches are laid in a shallow ground depression lined with grass, moss, and leaves. Incubation ranges from 23 to 25 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Long-tailed Jaeger: Parasitic Jaeger is larger, has black legs, larger white patches on outer wings, gray breast band, and short, pointed central tail feathers.

Flight Pattern

Ternlike airy flight with continuous wing beats, a few glides, and numerous dives.
Long-tailed Jaeger Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Long-tailed Jaeger: Breeds from Alaska to Greenland and south to the northern Ungava Peninsula. Spends winters off the coasts of the southern U.S. and South America. Nests on Arctic tundra. Spends winters over open ocean, usually staying offshore, and very rarely found inland.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
Population
MigrationMigratory
Weight9.9 Ounces
Gull-like BodyX
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
BellyX
The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
CapX
The area on top of the head of the bird.
ChinX
The area of the face just below the bill.
NapeX
Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX