Difference between revisions of "Parasitic Jaeger" - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 11:19, 21 March 2009

Alternative names: Arctic Skua, Parasitic Skua

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Stercorarius parasiticus

Photo by IanF
Photographed at Cleveland, UK

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

IanF
Juvenile, Seaton Snook, Cleveland, UK
Terry W
Handa Island, Scotland
Tichodroma
Iceland

Distribution

Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, and northern Russia.

Taxonomy

Habitat

Breeds on dry tundra, higher fells and islands. Otherwise pelagic but close to land

Behaviour

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

Wikipedia
Answers.com
Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
Collins Field Guid 5th Edition

External Links

Search for photos of Parasitic Jaeger in the gallery

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{incomplete}}
 ;[[:Category:Stercorarius|Stercorarius]] parasiticus
-[[Image:Parasitic_Jaeger.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by IanF<br>Photographed at Cleveland, UK]]
+[[Image:Parasitic_Jaeger.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by IanF<br />Photographed at Cleveland, UK]]
 ==Identification==
-cm length.  Light phase adults brown back, mainly white underparts and dark primary wing feathers with a white "flash". The head and neck yellow-white, black cap and pointed central tail projection. Dark phase adults dark brown, and intermediate phase birds are dark with paler underparts, head and neck. All phases have the white wing flash.
+-48 cm (including tail projection)<br />
+*Elongated central tail feathers (just noticeable in juveniles).
+*White wing flash<br />
+'''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]]
+<gallery>
+Image:Juv flight 21IMG 6055ao.JPG|{{user|IanF|IanF}}<br />Juvenile, Seaton Snook, Cleveland, [[UK]]
+Image:Arctic Skua.jpg|{{user|Terry+W|Terry W}} <br />[[Handa Island]], [[Scotland]]
+Image:Artic Skua MG 0610-2-1.jpg|{{user|Tichodroma|Tichodroma}}<br />[[Iceland ]]
+</gallery>
 ==Distribution==
 [[Alaska]], [[Canada]], [[Greenland]], [[Iceland]], [[Scandinavia]], and northern [[Russia]].
@@ Line 11: / Line 26: @@
 ==Taxonomy==
 ==Habitat==
-Dry tundra, higher fells and islands.
+Breeds on dry tundra, higher fells and islands. Otherwise pelagic but close to land
 ==Behaviour==
-Up to four olive-brown eggs are laid.
-Diet includes lemmings and other rodents
 Jizz and behaviour-based [http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=15951 ID tips]
+====Flight====
+Rather hawk-like and bouyant. Chases other birds
+====Breeding====
+Breeds in loose colonies<br />
+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><br />
 ''[[Media:Stercorarius parasiticus (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
+==References==
+#Wikipedia
+#Answers.com
+#Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
+#Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
+#Collins Field Guid 5th Edition
 ==External Links==
 {{GSearch|Stercorarius+parasiticus}}
 [[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Stercorarius]] [[Category:Bird Songs]]