Wildlifeof Singapore
Long-tailed Jaeger
Stercorariidae
Photo: Kristine Sowl, USFWS · Public domain
Stercorarius longicaudus
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly lemmings at nesting sites; fish and small prey at sea; sometimes insects and birds
Habitat
Dry tundra and higher fells when breeding
Clutch size
2 spotted olive-brown eggs
Size
38–58cm including the tail
Wingspan
102–117cm
Weight
230–444g
The long-tailed jaeger, or long-tailed skua, is the smallest of the skuas, 38–58 cm long depending on season and age, of which up to 29 cm can be tail, including the 15 cm streamers of the summer adult. The wingspan is 102–117 cm and the body mass 230–444 g. Adults are unmistakable, with a grey back, dark primaries without a white flash, a black cap and a very long tail, and they are slimmer, longer-winged and more tern-like than the Arctic skua (Wikipedia, general species account).
Adults often hover over their breeding territories. They nest on dry tundra or higher fells, laying two spotted olive-brown eggs, and feed mainly on lemmings near nesting sites, sometimes on insects and birds. At sea they catch fish and other small prey at the surface (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Long-tailed Jaeger eat?
- Mainly lemmings at nesting sites; fish and small prey at sea; sometimes insects and birds
- What habitat does the Long-tailed Jaeger live in?
- Dry tundra and higher fells when breeding
- How many eggs does the Long-tailed Jaeger lay?
- 2 spotted olive-brown eggs
- How big is the Long-tailed Jaeger?
- 38–58cm including the tail
- What is the wingspan of the Long-tailed Jaeger?
- 102–117cm
- How much does the Long-tailed Jaeger weigh?
- 230–444g