LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS 
37. Parasitic Jaeger. Stercorarius parasiticus 
Range. — Northern Hemisphere, wintering south 
to South America. 
The Parasitic Jaeger is very similar to the 
Pomarine except that the central tail feathers 
are pointed and are straight instead of twisted. 
It is an abundant bird in Alaska, breeding from 
the Aleutian Chain northward. 
They locate their nests in the highest parts 
of marshy places, the nest itself being only a de- 
pression in the ground lined with grass and moss. 
The two eggs have an olive greenish or brownish 
ground and are marked with various shades of 
brown and black. Size 2.15 x 1.65. 
Brownish 
38. Long-tailed Jaeger. Stercorarius 
longicaudus. 
Range. — Arctic America; south in winter to 
South America Parastic Jteger 
The long-tailed Jaeger is, according to length, Bong-tailed Jaeger 
the largest of the Jaegers, being 21 in. long; this is, however, due to the long 
sharp pointed central pair of tail feathers, which extend about eight inches 
beyond the others, and from the most noticeable distinguishing point from 
the former species. The plumages that have been described are the light 
phases; all the Jaegers have a dark 
phase in which the plumage is a near- 
ly uniform sooty brown, lightest be- 
low. 
The Long-tailed Jaegers are the 
most numerous in Alaska and are 
even more graceful in flight than are 
the Gulls and Terns, floating, skim- 
ming, sailing, plunging, and darting 
about with incredible swiftness and 
ease. Like the others of this family, 
they pilfer their food from the Gulls, 
and are also very destructive to young 
birds and eggs. Their eggs are either 
laid on the bare ground or in a 
slight depression, scantily lined with 
Olive brown 
grasses. The eggs are indistinguishable from those of the preceding species 
except that they average a trifle smaller. Size 2.10 x 1.50. 
37 
