Fauna
Bird

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Also known as Arctic Skua, Parasitic Skua, Arctic Jaeger

Parasitic Jaegers are agile aerial acrobats of the high northern latitudes, known for relentlessly chasing gulls and terns to steal their freshly caught fish. On their tundra breeding grounds, adults nest directly on open ground and fiercely defend their eggs with dramatic injury-feigning displays and swooping aerial dives. During migration and winter, they roam wide open oceans across the southern hemisphere, leading mostly solitary lives offshore.

MigratorySeabirdPelagic
Parasitic Jaeger reference1 / 7
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyFish, Small rodents, Bird eggs
Predators
  • Arctic Fox
  • Snowy Owl
  • Glaucous Gull
ThreatsClimate change, decline of prey species, marine pollution
HabitatsArctic tundra, coastal waters, pelagic oceans
Life span15–25 years
Classification
  1. FamilyStercorariidae
  2. SpeciesStercorarius parasiticus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Nesting birds fiercely dive-bomb intruders; maintain a safe distance during the breeding season.
What to notice
Medium-sized dark or light-morph seabird with pointed central tail feathers and white wing flashes.
Support conservation
Keep a distance from tundra nesting territories, leaving immediately if adults swoop or dive-bomb.
Responsible observation
  • Observation: Scan offshore seabird flocks or coastal roosts with a spotting scope during migration.
  • Breeding Caution: Give nesting tundra pairs a wide berth if they begin alarm calls or diving displays.
Related species
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