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 ten 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)
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).
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. 2023. Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 12 Oct 2023