It is a medium-sized seabird with a much more slender build and a narrower wingspan, giving it the sharp, pointed silhouette of a falcon. What technically separates it from other members of the jaeger family is its tail: instead of the twisted “spoons” of the pomarine or the long, flowing ribbons of the long-tailed jaeger, the prasitic sports two pointed, dagger-like central feathers that stick out just a few inches beyond the rest of the tail.
True to its name, this bird is a master of “kleptoparasitism.” It is a professional harasser of terns, puffins, and gulls. Because it is so lightweight and nimble, it can match every twist and turn of a smaller bird in a high-speed dogfight. It will dive-bomb and snap at its target until the victim gets so stressed that it “regurgitates” or drops the fish it was carrying for its chicks. The jaeger then performs a spectacular mid-air catch, snatching the stolen meal before it can hit the waves. What makes them particularly “humanized” is their tactical intelligence; they often hunt in pairs, with one bird acting as a distraction while the other swoops in to make the “hit.”
When they aren’t pirating on the high seas, they lead a double life as Arctic dwellers. During the summer breeding months, they move to the coastal tundras and moorlands. Unlike their pomarine cousins, who are obsessed with lemmings, the parasitic jaeger is a more versatile eater. They will snatch up insects, berries, and even the eggs or chicks of other birds. They are also incredibly brave—if a fox or a human wanders too close to their ground nest, they won’t just fly away. They will launch a ferocious aerial dive-bombing attack, screaming loudly and swooping inches from the intruder’s head to drive them away from their precious eggs.
Distribution
Algeria
Angola
Antarctica
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bosnia And Herz.
Brazil
British Virgin Is.
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Chile
Christmas Island
Colombia
Congo-Brazzaville
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curaçao
Cyprus
Czechia
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Korea
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Martinique
Mauritania
Mexico
Micronesia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Romania
Russia
Saint Helena
Saint Lucia
Saint Pierre
Saint Vincent
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts & Nevis
Sudan
Svalbard
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad & Tobago
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Turks & Caicos
Turkey
UAE
US Virgin Islands
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Venezuela
YemenAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Flock
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
