photo by Phil Swanson

Stercorarius parasiticus
L 19″ (48 cm) W 42″ (107 cm).

Song or calls:
Wailing “ka-aaow,” or piercing “tok-tok” cries.

Description: Sexes similar. Smaller and more slender than Pomarine Jaeger; faster wing stroke. Longer central tail feathers are pointed. Light phase brown above; white below; black cap; yellow wash on throat; brown breast band; lacks barring on flanks. Dark phase uniformly brown. Juvenile is brown with black barring overall.

Habitat: Nests on the tundra, and spends the rest of the year on the open ocean.

Where in Nebraska: Accidental. Early record from Lancaster County in 1898, and more recent specimen from Sheridan County collected in 1968.

Fun Facts: Highly dependent on lemmings, the Parasitic Jaeger will abandon breeding areas when lemming numbers are low (about every 4 years).

Additional Information: Jaeger comes from the German word for hunter, as they are predatory on their breeding grounds. They become pirates on the ocean and often rob other seabirds of their prey.

 
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