Subfamily Stercorariinae

Pomarine Jaeger

Status Uncommon transient, rare in summer. Reliable early records are few. One was shot near Digby by W. Gilpin, following the heavy gale of 4 October 1869 (Piers' notes), and an immature bird was taken off Brier Island by D.R. Munro in November 1900. Three immature females were collected on 8 August 1916 off the coast of Dover, Halifax County, by a fisherman who sent them to Louis B. Bishop (Piers' notes). However, Pomarine Jaegers, the two other jaeger species and the Great Skua have been reported regularly over the past 15 years. This apparent change of status must be ascribed to the increase in seagoing ornithologists rather than to expansions of these birds' ranges. In spring, Pomarine Jaegers usually reach Nova Scotian waters at the end of April (earliest 18 April 1984). A few spend the summer here, but most have passed through our area by the end of May. Fall migrants reappear during the second half of August, and birds are regularly seen all through September and October. The latest stragglers were seen on 6 November 1979 and 1982.

Description Length: 65-78 cm, including elongated central tail feathers. Occurs in two colour morphs or phases, and various intermediate ones. All plumages: Bill hooked, feet webbed. Adults in dark morph: Generally dark brown, slightly lighter below and on cheeks; black cap. Adults in light morph: Underparts, breast, neck and face white: cheeks, and throat in some cases, tinged with yellow; cap black; rest of upperparts dark brown; dark barring may occur on flanks, breast and underparts; bases of the primary feathers are white, providing a fairly conspicuous white "wing-flash"; tips of the central tail feathers are spatulate and twisted, and project several centimetres beyond the outer ones. Juveniles: grayish brown, heavily barred on upperparts and underparts with blackish brown; central tail feathers are little elongated.

Range Circumpolar. Breeds on the Arctic islands and mainland across North America. Winters mainly at sea from the Virginia coast south to the West Indies, from California to Peru, and off the western coast of Africa.

Remarks Jaegers are freebooters of the open sea, preying on other forms of marine birdlife; they are known to fishermen as "sea hawks." This plucky member of the jaeger subfamily has been known to attack the much larger Great Black-backed Gull and successfully steal its prey.