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Parasitic Jaeger

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

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The Arctic Skua, or Parasitic Jaeger, is a slim, falcon-like seabird that breeds on tundra, moorland and islands across high latitudes of Eurasia and North America and winters on tropical and southern oceans. It occurs in light, intermediate and dark morphs, all with a white wing flash and, in adults, pointed central tail streamers. It is famous for piracy, chasing terns and gulls until they drop their catch.

Did you know?

  • Its name “jaeger” means “hunter” in German.
  • It is the skua most often seen from shore.

Voice

Flight call

About the species

Identification

A medium-sized, falcon-like skua. There are two main colour morphs: all-dark and light, with a pale neck and belly. In flight a white patch shows at the base of the primaries. Adults in summer have pointed central tail feathers that stress its slim look. The sexes look alike; key features are best seen in flight: narrow, pointed wings and white wing flashes. It is slimmer than Pomarine Jaeger, with shorter streamers than Long-tailed Jaeger.

Family

Stercorariidae

Size

Large (crow)

Colours

brown, white, black, grey

About the habitat

Breeds on tundra, moorland, treeless skerries and islands; outside the breeding season coastal waters and the open sea.

Diet

Mainly fish stolen from terns, gulls and auks by chasing them; also small fish, insects, small birds, eggs and rodents on the breeding grounds.

Behaviour

A fast, agile flier with a falcon-like flight that harasses seabirds in sustained chases to make them drop or disgorge their prey. It nests on open ground and fiercely defends its territory, swooping at foxes and people. On the breeding grounds it gives nasal, mewing and wailing calls. It is highly migratory and the skua most often seen from shore.

Sources

Photo: Jinesh PS, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arctic Skua 1.jpg

Sound: Teet Sirotkin, XC1157231, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://xeno-canto.org/1157231

Text: Wikipedia (English) + FinBIF species descriptions, CC BY-SA 4.0; FinBIF: CC BY 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitic_jaeger

See also