Stercorarius longicaudus
Status: Accidental in spring. Rare casual fall migrant statewide.
Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM13093, 1 Sep 1952 Lancaster Co (Baumgarten and Rapp 1953).
Taxonomy: Two subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022): longicaudus of northern Scandinavia and northern Russia, and pallescens of eastern Siberia, arctic North America, and Greenland.
Nebraska birds are presumed pallescens.
Spring: There is one documented record, although the several reports from neighboring states, most in late May-Jun, suggest that Long-tailed seems to be the most likely of the jaegers to occur in spring.
9 Jun 2008 adult photographed Lake McConaughy, Keith Co (Brogie 2011).
Fall: There are 12 documented records, several of which were discussed by Dinsmore (2009), who stated the species “may be a more common migrant in western Nebraska than previously thought”.
28 Aug-15 Sep 2014 juvenile Capitol Beach Lake, Lancaster Co (Brogie 2015
30 Aug 2024 Lake Minatare, Scotts Bluff Co (Mlodinow, eBird.org)
31 Aug 2014 photographed Lake McConaughy (Brogie 2015 has date incorrectly cited as 4 Sep 2014, corrected in Brogie 2016)
1 Sep 1952 immature Lancaster Co (specimen cited above)
11 Sep 2000 intermediate phase juvenile Lake Minatare, Scotts Bluff Co (Dinsmore 2009; Jorgensen 2002)
11-17 Sep 2013 juvenile Capitol Beach Lake, Lincoln (Brogie 2014)
12-14 Sep 2013 adult Lake McConaughy (Silcock 2013)
16-20 Sep 2019 adult light phase Calamus Fish Hatchery, Garfield Co (Charles Bridgham photo and video; Brogie 2020)
18-19 Sep 2010 intermediate phase juvenile Winters Creek Lake, Scotts Bluff Co (Brogie 2011)
19 Sep 2001 light phase adult Lake McConaughy (Dinsmore 2009; Brogie 2011)
3 Oct 1998 light or intermediate phase juvenile Lake McConaughy (Dinsmore 2009; Brogie 1999)
10-13 Oct 2024 Sherman Reservoir, Sherman Co (Cooper, Huryn, Harding; eBird.org)
Comments: The specimen cited above was collected at Salt Lake (Capitol Beach Lake), Lancaster Co, and identified as this species by R.C. Murphy; it is an immature (Baumgarten and Rapp 1953).
Images
Abbreviations
UNSM: University of Nebraska State Museum
Literature Cited:
Baumgarten, H.E., and W.F. Rapp Jr. 1953. Two new birds added to the Nebraska list. NBR 21: 2-3.
Brogie, M.A. 1999. 1998 (Tenth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 67: 141-152.
Brogie, M.A. 2011. 2010 (22nd) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 79: 99-111.
Brogie, M.A. 2014. 2013 (25th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 82: 131-146.
Brogie, M.A. 2015. 2014 (26th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 83: 125-138.
Brogie, M.A. 2016. 2015 (27th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 84: 138-150.
Brogie, M.A. 2020. 2019 (31st) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 88: 124-134.
Dinsmore, S.J. 2009. Long-tailed Jaegers in western Nebraska. NBR 77: 110-111.
Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Jorgensen, J.G. 2002. 2002 (sic; =2000). (12th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 70: 84-90.
Silcock, W.R. 2013. Fall Field Report, August-November 2013. NBR 81: 134-160.
Recommended Citation:
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2024. Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 5 Dec 2024