Parasitic Jaegers breed across the Canadian Arctic and winter at sea. Off the west coast of Canada, Parasitic Jaegers occur in both nearshore and offshore waters in low numbers, primarily between May and October (Kenyon et al. 2009), although they have been observed rarely, in April and in late December (Campbell et al. 1990). Their widely dispersed population is difficult to monitor, so their status in Canada relative to about 1970 remains unknown. Parasitic Jaegers prey on the eggs of other birds, so changes in the population status of their prey species could potentially affect their numbers. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
In comparison to Canada's other two jaeger species, Parasitic Jaegers are less specialised on lemmings and prey more on the eggs and chicks of other birds (Wiley and Lee 1999). They frequently breed near colonies of other birds such as Ross' or Snow Geese, and the dramatic increases in the abundance of these species in some regions could positively affect jaeger populations. Lack of systematic monitoring information, however, precludes a test of this hypothesis.
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.
