﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  113 
  

  

  Family 
  SXERCORA.RIID 
  AE 
  

  

  Skuas 
  and 
  Jaegers 
  

  

  Bill 
  epignathous, 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  mandible 
  being 
  decidedly 
  curved 
  

   and 
  furnished 
  with 
  a 
  distinct 
  nail 
  or 
  dentruni; 
  a 
  horny 
  cere 
  is 
  saddled 
  over 
  

   the 
  opening 
  of 
  the 
  nostrils; 
  claws 
  strong, 
  sharp, 
  and 
  curved; 
  primaries 
  stiff 
  

   and 
  rounded; 
  central 
  tail 
  feathers 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  elongated; 
  coeca 
  much 
  larger 
  

   than 
  in 
  other 
  Longipennes; 
  sternum 
  with 
  only 
  a 
  single 
  notch 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  

   instead 
  of 
  two 
  as 
  in 
  Laridae. 
  There 
  is 
  also 
  a 
  general 
  tendency 
  to 
  a 
  sooty 
  

   blackish 
  coloration 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  parts 
  in 
  the 
  adult, 
  to 
  a 
  gilding 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  

   and 
  hind 
  neck, 
  and 
  to 
  a 
  whitening 
  of 
  the 
  shafts 
  of 
  the 
  flight 
  feathers 
  toward 
  

   their 
  bases 
  ; 
  while 
  the 
  young 
  in 
  all 
  are 
  noticeably 
  smaller 
  than 
  the 
  adults 
  

   and 
  profusely 
  waved 
  or 
  streaked 
  with 
  rufous, 
  requiring 
  years 
  to 
  reach 
  the 
  

   full 
  dimensions 
  and 
  plumage 
  of 
  the 
  adult. 
  In 
  habit 
  the 
  skuas 
  or 
  jaegers 
  

   are 
  dashing, 
  intrepid 
  and 
  predatory, 
  strong 
  and 
  vigorous 
  of 
  body 
  and 
  wings. 
  

   Armed 
  with 
  beak 
  and 
  claws 
  which 
  mimic 
  the 
  birds 
  of 
  prey, 
  they 
  harass 
  

   their 
  weaker 
  brethren 
  of 
  the 
  gull 
  family 
  and 
  compel 
  them 
  to 
  drop, 
  or 
  dis- 
  

   gorge, 
  their 
  prey 
  which 
  is 
  snatched 
  up 
  with 
  great 
  dexterity. 
  This 
  habit 
  

   has 
  given 
  them 
  the 
  names 
  in 
  common 
  use 
  among 
  sailors 
  — 
  jaegers 
  (hunters, 
  

   sea-hawks, 
  teasers, 
  boat 
  swains, 
  and, 
  by 
  a 
  misconception, 
  dunghunters) 
  . 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  a 
  family 
  of 
  onh" 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  species, 
  native 
  to 
  high 
  latitudes 
  

   in 
  both 
  hemispheres 
  and 
  wandering 
  widely 
  in 
  winter, 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  holarctic 
  

   species 
  passing 
  far 
  beyond 
  the 
  equator 
  in 
  their 
  migrations. 
  In 
  the 
  breed- 
  

   ing 
  season 
  their 
  habits 
  change, 
  and 
  they 
  proceed 
  inland 
  along 
  the 
  Arctic 
  

   coast 
  to 
  nest 
  upon 
  the 
  tundra. 
  Their 
  food 
  then 
  consists 
  largely 
  of 
  insects, 
  

   small 
  mammals, 
  and 
  other 
  animals, 
  and 
  upon 
  these 
  they 
  feed 
  their 
  young. 
  

  

  Megalestris 
  skua 
  (Brunnich) 
  

   Skua 
  

  

  Plate 
  4 
  

  

  Catharacta 
  skua 
  Brunnich. 
  Ornithologia 
  Borealis. 
  1764. 
  33 
  

   Megalestris 
  skua 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  35 
  

  

  meg' 
  ales' 
  tr 
  is, 
  Gr. 
  /u,eyas, 
  large 
  and 
  X-qcrrpi^, 
  pirate 
  craft 
  ; 
  sku'a 
  from 
  the 
  Faroese 
  

  

  or 
  Norwegian 
  name 
  of 
  this 
  bird 
  

  

  Description. 
  Blackish 
  brozvn, 
  the 
  feathers 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  tipped 
  with 
  

   chestnut 
  spots; 
  shafts 
  of 
  the 
  wing 
  and 
  tail 
  feathers 
  white, 
  excepting 
  toward 
  

   the 
  tip; 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  streaked 
  with 
  white 
  and 
  chestnut 
  around 
  the 
  neck; 
  

  

  