Long-tailed Jaeger

This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Stercorarius longicaudus

Malay Name: Camar-Lanun Ekor Panjang

Chinese Name: 长尾贼鸥

Alternative Name(s): Long-tailed Skua

Range: Breeds in the arctic region and winters south in the temperate and tropical oceans

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: longicaudus, pallescens.

Size: 47-67.5 cm

Identification: Non-breeding adult resembles Pomarine and Parasitic Jaeger but is more slender looking and has no whitish flash on primaries especially the underwing. Breeding adult can be separated from the other two Jaeger species by its long pointed central tail-feathers, mostly whitish underparts with no breast-band, greyish belly and vent, two-tone upperwing where the coverts are paler than the secondaries and uniform all dark underwing.

Similar looking species: Pomarine Jaeger, Parasitic Jaeger

Habitat: Open seas

Behaviour/Ecology:

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2018)

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Records currently under review are also not displayed. For a full list, click here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

References:

BirdLife International. (2018). Stercorarius longicaudus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22694251A132536719.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.