The Long-tailed Jaeger breeds widely across the Canadian Arctic and winters at sea in the Southern Hemisphere. They are regular but relatively rare visitors to waters off the coast of British Columbia. Although found in Pacific Canada from early May through early November, peak abundance occurs in May and again in August and September (Kenyon et al. 2009); likely mirroring their pre- and post-breeding migrations. Despite being the most widespread and abundant jaeger in North America, few surveys provide repeated counts over time. Therefore, its population status in Canada relative to about 1970 remains unknown.
Long-tailed Jaegers prey heavily on lemmings, and the abundance of lemmings may influence jaegers' reproductive success (Wiley and Lee 1998). Disruptions in the cycle of lemming abundance is a predicted consequence of global climate change, already observed in the European Arctic (Post et al. 2009). However, the impact of fluctuations in lemming densities on Long-tailed Jaeger populations is not clear. More research is needed to gain an understanding of the population regulation in Long-tailed Jaeger.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
