Long-tailed Jaeger

Inuktitut name - Isunngaq

Colour - back dark; belly light; top of head with black cap; neck whitish; legs bluish; wings with white primary feathers that may flash when moving

Length - 50 to 60 cm; tail feathers up to 25 cm long

Shape - central tail feathers protrude; bill robust, hooked; wings narrow and angled back

Behaviour - strong flyer; at sea they often steal food from other birds by harassing them; in summer they often eat small birds and rodents (mainly lemmings) and may raid the nests of other birds to eat the eggs and young

Distribution - usually found offshore; migrates south in winter, returning in later spring; come to Arctic to breed; nest on tundra, inland from seacoast, usually in isolation; spend the winter widely distributed over open ocean areas further south

Sensitivity - see Sensitivity Information on the Birds - General Information page

Note - There are two other species of Jaegers in the Arctic, the Pomarine Jaeger and the Parasitic Jaeger. The Pomarine Jaeger is the largest; the Parasitic Jaeger (which has black legs) the smallest. All are hard to distinguish from each other. The Pomarine and Long-tailed Jaegers both have dark and light colour phases.

Long-tailed Jaeger (25 KB)

Lancaster Sound Area Distribution Maps: This species is not sensitive in this area, therefore no maps are presented.

Coronation Gulf Area Distribution Maps: See the Birds - General Information page.