Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus), Ashurst Lake, Yavapai County

The smallest of the three jaegers, the graceful Long-tailed Jaeger breeds in the Arctic and is a very rare migrant across interior North America south of Canada primarily in fall. Approximately 10-12 have been recorded in Arizona since the 1970's, including a few found dead. On the breeding grounds their primary food source is lemmings and other rodents, but they do take a great variety of food when necessary, including arthropods. While photographing this bird it was observed steadily feeding on grasshoppers, which it found in the mud cracks along the lake edge.

This juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger was first discovered and reported by both John Hildebrand and Chuck LaRue on August 28, 2004, at Ashurst Lake, and was last seen on August 30th.

Photographed by Jeff Estis on August 29, 2004.