Alternative names: Arctic Skua, Parasitic Skua
- Stercorarius parasiticus
Identification
41-48 cm (including tail projection)
- Elongated central tail feathers (just noticeable in juveniles).
- White wing flash
Dark Phase and Young are brown apart from the whitish patch near wing tip.
Light Phase have creamy-white underparts, cheeks and neck (barred brown in winter) and a dark cap.
Intermediates have variable amounts of light and dark plumage: some are brown with dark cap, others brown with yellow neck-ring.
Similar Species
Pomarine Skua, Long-tailed Skua.
Distribution
Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, and northern Russia. Winters at sea in southern oceans.
Taxonomy
Monotypic[1]
Habitat
Breeds on dry tundra, higher fells and islands. Otherwise pelagic but close to land.
Behaviour
Bird Forum thread for jizz and behaviour-based ID tips
Flight
Rather hawk-like and bouyant. Chases other birds.
Breeding
Breeds in loose colonies
Up to four olive-brown eggs are laid on the ground.
Diet
Diet includes lemmings and other rodents. Robs other birds of their fish catch.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Stercorarius parasiticus (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Wikipedia
- Answers.com
- Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
- Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
- Collins Field Guid 5th Edition
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Parasitic Jaeger. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Parasitic_Jaeger
