Photo: Jerzy Strzelecki / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Shorebirds

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudus

Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.

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Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

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The Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus) is a member of the Stercorariidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 288 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Stercorariidae Skuas
Genus Stercorarius
Species longicaudus

Where it lives

Holarctic high and low Arctic tundra, locally subarctic: northwestern, southeastern Greenland, Arctic northern Scandinavia to northeastern Siberia and Kamchatka (eastern Russia); Arctic and western, southern Alaska through Arctic Canada to Ellesmere and Baffin is.

Quick facts

Weight: 288 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Stercorariidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Least Concern

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinus

Least Concern

South Polar Skua

Stercorarius maccormicki

Least Concern

Great Skua

Stercorarius skua

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Long-tailed Jaeger hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.

Migration

The Long-tailed Jaeger is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus) belongs to the Stercorariidae family of the order Charadriiformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Its distribution covers NA, PAL Holarctic high and low Arctic tundra, locally subarctic: nw, se Greenland, Arctic n Scandinavia to ne Siberia and Kamchatka (e Russia); Arctic and w, s Alaska through Arctic Canada to Ellesmere and Baffin is.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 288 g, with a wing length of about 30.2 cm and a tail of around 24.6 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 6.2 million km².

Songs & calls

Long-tailed Jaeger — Call

Recorded by Petter Westberg Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Long-tailed Jaeger?

The Long-tailed Jaeger is a large bird that weighs around 288 g.

Where does the Long-tailed Jaeger live?

The Long-tailed Jaeger is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL Holarctic high and low Arctic tundra, locally subarctic: nw, se Greenland, Arctic n Scandinavia to ne Siberia and Kamchatka (e Russia); Arctic and w, s Alaska through Arctic Canada to Ellesmere and Baffin is, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Long-tailed Jaeger belong to?

The Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus) belongs to the Stercorariidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Long-tailed Jaeger eat?

The Long-tailed Jaeger hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Long-tailed Jaeger migrate?

The Long-tailed Jaeger is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Long-tailed Jaeger endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Long-tailed Jaeger make?

1 real field recording of the Long-tailed Jaeger — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Long-tailed Jaeger's range?

The Long-tailed Jaeger has a mapped global range of about 6.2 million km².