• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Juvenile Jaeger (1 Viewer)

Michael W

Mountain Chickadee
This dark-morph juvenile jaeger showed up at nearby Sprague Lake in eastern Washington. It appears to be gone now, and was here for at least 3 days. We went out and saw it yesterday morning. It was quite far away, and I didn't do too well with attempted digiscoping!

Some have called it a Parasitic, and others have called it Long-tailed. We went out hoping for a Long-tailed (which would be a lifer), but came back with the feeling that it was a Parasitic. But it is so tough!!! :bounce:

Can anyone shed their opinions on this bird?

Photos are at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nightjar/61068354/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nightjar/61086127/

(Note: Be sure and click "All sizes" above the collection of shots to view them full-size)

Help!!! :king:
Michael
 
Last edited:
I'm pretty sure that it's a Intermediate juvenile Parasitic Jaeger. Then again the images were really blurry and it could also be the dark morph.
 
Had a bit more time with this one now. Here are some reasons why it isn't a Long-tailed
 

Attachments

  • skua.JPG
    skua.JPG
    29.1 KB · Views: 243
Thanks a bunch folks! I'm would have been in full agreement, except...

A couple birders (one a local expert, one from Florida) suggested a Pomarine Jaeger for this bird. They mention the white patch formed by the greater primary coverts as being fairly diagnostic for this bird. They also mention things such as dark lores, very broad-based wings, contrastingly barred upper and lower tail coverts, the former forming a distinct pale rump patch, heavy head and bill, and the chocolate brown color.

Yikes! I sure wish I had more experience with jaegers! I think we can say that it is definitely NOT a juvie Long-tailed, but is it Parasitic or Pomarine? :egghead:

I was sent this link: http://www.biology.eku.edu/kos/pomarine_jaeger.htm . Be sure and check out the photos from the links at the bottom.
 
Last edited:
Jane Turner said:
Had a bit more time with this one now. Here are some reasons why it isn't a Long-tailed
Hi Jane love the way you did that with the picture. How dya do it? Is it easy to do even for a computer spaz like me? 8-P
 
Limeybirder said:
Hi Jane love the way you did that with the picture. How dya do it? Is it easy to do even for a computer spaz like me? 8-P

I used a image grabber (Mr Snappy - freely downloadable) to copy the image into Power Point - a package for creating presentations. Then I added the arrows and text in power point - grabbed the image again and copied back into a jpeg.
 
Jane Turner said:
I used a image grabber (Mr Snappy - freely downloadable) to copy the image into Power Point - a package for creating presentations. Then I added the arrows and text in power point - grabbed the image again and copied back into a jpeg.

thanks I'll give that try
 
It could be Pom Michael - but I can't see enough in the pictures to say so. The low keel and broad wings l;ook ok. Not getting all the coarse barring I'd like to see though. A plus point is a hint of a primary covert parking. Whereas i am confident ruling out LT, I'm not confident ruling in Pomarine. The shape of the central TF's would be helpful.

The fact that the argument was about it being LT or Arctic sort of ruled out Pom in my mind.
 
Last edited:
Ive saw several jaegers/skuas on a seawatch off Pendeen in Cornwall that looked like that but Id been smoking and drinking and was wearing a t-shirt and jeans in a Nor westerly 7!!!
Wish I could be of more help Michael but the photographs aren't that conclusive although the bird does look on the heavy side. If I had a few quid to bet on it Id say it was a Pom but Im skint so Im sitting on the fence. Thanks for posting though or Id never have got to see Jane's awesome reply with the graphics etc.:smoke:
 
Warning! This thread is more than 18 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top