Class:
Aves
Family:
Stercorariidae
Common Name:
Parasitic Jaeger
Genus:
Stercorarius
Species Name:
parasiticus
About The Parasitic Jaeger
The Arctic skua is an elegant bird, but don't let looks fool you. Just like all other skuas, they chase other seabirds until they drop their food or disgorge it. Sometimes these agile birds even manage to catch the loot in the air. The bird picks on gulls, terns and auks in particular. Sometimes, several arctic skuas will work together to steal the food from a victim. Their diet does not only consist of stolen food. In the nesting colonies, they go after young birds, eggs, lemmings, mice, insects and carrion.
Rights Holder: Copyright Ecomare
Trips Where Observed
Africa: Eastern and Southern
Alaska
Eastern Australia
Iceland
New Zealand
Member Lifelists
Africa
Australasia
California
Europe
New Jersey
North America
San Francisco
United States
World
Sites Where Observed
6/17/2007
Saw one off in the distance, possible juvenile.
11/24/2012
Parasitic Jaeger was seen on the trip, but I am not 100% sure on the image.
7/17/2014
Not 100% sure on ID. Shorter pointed tail than long-tailed common in area.