Photo: Mike Pennington / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Parasitic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticus
Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) is a member of the Stercorariidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 444 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Stercorariidae Skuas
- Genus Stercorarius
- Species parasiticus
Where it lives
Holarctic low Arctic tundra, locally high Arctic and subarctic: western, southern Greenland, Iceland, northern Scotland, Scandinavian coasts including Baltic Sea, Svalbard (north of Norway), northern Russia to northeastern Siberia and Kamchatka, Aleutian and Bering Sea is., western and southwestern Alaska, Arctic Canada (except northern high Arctic islands) to Baffin I. and east-central Canada
Quick facts
- Weight
- 444 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Stercorariidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Parasitic 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 Parasitic Jaeger is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) is a species of skuas in the family Stercorariidae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in North America, Europe & Northern Asia — Holarctic low Arctic tundra, locally high Arctic and subarctic: w, s Greenland, Iceland, n Scotland, Scandinavian coasts including Baltic Sea, Svalbard (n of Norway), n Russia to ne Siberia and Kamchatka, Aleutian and Bering Sea is., w and sw Alaska, Arctic Canada (except n high Arctic islands) to Baffin I. and ec Canada.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Parasitic Jaeger?
The Parasitic Jaeger is a large bird that weighs around 444 g.
Where does the Parasitic Jaeger live?
The Parasitic Jaeger is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL Holarctic low Arctic tundra, locally high Arctic and subarctic: w, s Greenland, Iceland, n Scotland, Scandinavian coasts including Baltic Sea, Svalbard (n of Norway), n Russia to ne Siberia and Kamchatka, Aleutian and Bering Sea is., w and sw Alaska, Arctic Canada (except n high Arctic islands) to Baffin I. and ec Canada, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Parasitic Jaeger belong to?
The Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) belongs to the Stercorariidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Parasitic Jaeger eat?
The Parasitic Jaeger hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Parasitic Jaeger migrate?
The Parasitic Jaeger is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Parasitic 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 Parasitic Jaeger make?
1 real field recording of the Parasitic 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 Parasitic Jaeger's range?
The Parasitic Jaeger has a mapped global range of about 6.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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