WoRMS taxon details
Stercorarius parasiticus (Linnaeus, 1758)
marine, terrestrial
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places.]. <em>Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm].</em> 1(10) [iii], 824 p., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors 
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Description Length: 46-67 cm. Plumage: two morphs; light morph above brown with darkish cap, below white with brownish wash on breast,...
Distribution circum-arctic
Distribution northern North America
Description Length: 46-67 cm. Plumage: two morphs; light morph above brown with darkish cap, below white with brownish wash on breast, sides of neck and head yellowish; dark morph above and below sooty brown; both morphs with white at base of primaries; two central rectrices elongate, straight and pointed. Immature lacks elongate rectrices; barred above and below. Bare parts: iris dark brown; bill pinkish brown to brownish black with a black tip; cere whitish; feet and legs bluish grey to black. Habitat: open ocean and inshore waters. Palearctic migrant. <389><391><393> [details]
Distribution circum-arctic
Distribution circum-arctic [details]
Distribution northern North America
Distribution northern North America [details]
WoRMS (2025). Stercorarius parasiticus (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137172 on 2025-07-03
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Nomenclature
original description
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places.]. <em>Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm].</em> 1(10) [iii], 824 p., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors [request]
basis of record van der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS) [details]
[request]basis of record van der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS) [details]
Other
context source (HKRMS)
Hong Kong Offshore Wind Farm in SoutheasternWaters. EIA report. [details]
context source (BeRMS 2020) Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). European Seabirds at Sea - data collected by the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). INBO Seabird distribution data (all trips). [details]
context source (Bermuda) Amos, E. J. R. (1991). A Guide to The Birds of Bermuda. 206 pp [details]
context source (PeRMS) Imarpe. (2022). Informe ejecutivo del crucero 2202-04 de Evaluación Hidroacústica de Anchoveta y Otros Recursos Pelágicos, realizado entre el 15 de febrero al 09 de abril del 2022. <em>Imarpe.</em> 57p., available online at https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/3084651/INFORME%20EJECUTIVO%202202-04.pdf?v=1652289648 [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Banks, R.C., R.W. McDiarmid, and A.L. Gardner. 1987. Checklist of vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resource Publication No. 166. 79 p. [details]
additional source Robbins, C. S. (1983). Golden field Guide to Birds of North America. Golden press. 360p. [details]
additional source Linkletter, L. E. (1977). A checklist of marine fauna and flora of the Bay of Fundy. <em>Huntsman Marine Laboratory, St. Andrews, N.B.</em> 68: p. [details]
additional source Peterson, R.T.; Peterson, V.M. (2002). A field guide to the birds of eastern and central North America. <em>Fifth Edition.</em> Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York. 427 p. [details]
additional source Squires, H. J. (1990). Decapod Crustacea of the Atlantic coast of Canada. <em>Canadian Bulletin of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.</em> 221: 532 p., available online at http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/library/116743.pdf [details]
additional source Vanner, M. (2003). The encyclopedia of North American birds. <em>Paragon Publishing.</em> 1-383. [details]
additional source Urban, E. K.; Fry, C. H.; Keith, S. (1986). The Birds of Africa, Volume II. <em>Academic Press, London.</em> [details]
additional source Muller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. <em>Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France.</em> 307 pp., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/145561.pdf [details]
additional source King, C.M.; Roberts, C.D.; Bell, B.D.; Fordyce, R.E.; Nicoll, R.S.; Worthy, T.H.; Paulin, C.D.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Keyes, I.W.; Baker, A.N.; Stewart, A.L.; Hiller, N.; McDowall, R.M.; Holdaway, R.N.; McPhee, R.P.; Schwarzhans, W.W.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Rust, S.; Macadie, I. (2009). Phylum Chordata: lancelets, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals. <em>in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia.</em> pp. 431-554. [details]
additional source Gallardo, J. C.; Macías, V.; Velarde, E. (2009). Birds (Vertebrata: Aves) of the Gulf of Mexico. <em>In: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas.</em> Pp. 1321–1342. [details]
additional source Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). Checklist of marine biota of China seas. <em>China Science Press.</em> 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). , available online at http://www.itis.gov [details]
additional source Cattrijsse, A. & M. Vincx. (2001). Biodiversity of the benthos and the avifauna of the Belgian coastal waters: summary of data collected between 1970 and 1998. <em>Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs: Brussel, Belgium.</em> 48 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors [request]
context source (BeRMS 2020) Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). European Seabirds at Sea - data collected by the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). INBO Seabird distribution data (all trips). [details]
context source (Bermuda) Amos, E. J. R. (1991). A Guide to The Birds of Bermuda. 206 pp [details]
context source (PeRMS) Imarpe. (2022). Informe ejecutivo del crucero 2202-04 de Evaluación Hidroacústica de Anchoveta y Otros Recursos Pelágicos, realizado entre el 15 de febrero al 09 de abril del 2022. <em>Imarpe.</em> 57p., available online at https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/3084651/INFORME%20EJECUTIVO%202202-04.pdf?v=1652289648 [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Banks, R.C., R.W. McDiarmid, and A.L. Gardner. 1987. Checklist of vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resource Publication No. 166. 79 p. [details]
additional source Robbins, C. S. (1983). Golden field Guide to Birds of North America. Golden press. 360p. [details]
additional source Linkletter, L. E. (1977). A checklist of marine fauna and flora of the Bay of Fundy. <em>Huntsman Marine Laboratory, St. Andrews, N.B.</em> 68: p. [details]
additional source Peterson, R.T.; Peterson, V.M. (2002). A field guide to the birds of eastern and central North America. <em>Fifth Edition.</em> Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York. 427 p. [details]
additional source Squires, H. J. (1990). Decapod Crustacea of the Atlantic coast of Canada. <em>Canadian Bulletin of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.</em> 221: 532 p., available online at http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/library/116743.pdf [details]
additional source Vanner, M. (2003). The encyclopedia of North American birds. <em>Paragon Publishing.</em> 1-383. [details]
additional source Urban, E. K.; Fry, C. H.; Keith, S. (1986). The Birds of Africa, Volume II. <em>Academic Press, London.</em> [details]
additional source Muller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. <em>Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France.</em> 307 pp., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/145561.pdf [details]
additional source King, C.M.; Roberts, C.D.; Bell, B.D.; Fordyce, R.E.; Nicoll, R.S.; Worthy, T.H.; Paulin, C.D.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Keyes, I.W.; Baker, A.N.; Stewart, A.L.; Hiller, N.; McDowall, R.M.; Holdaway, R.N.; McPhee, R.P.; Schwarzhans, W.W.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Rust, S.; Macadie, I. (2009). Phylum Chordata: lancelets, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals. <em>in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia.</em> pp. 431-554. [details]
additional source Gallardo, J. C.; Macías, V.; Velarde, E. (2009). Birds (Vertebrata: Aves) of the Gulf of Mexico. <em>In: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas.</em> Pp. 1321–1342. [details]
additional source Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). Checklist of marine biota of China seas. <em>China Science Press.</em> 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). , available online at http://www.itis.gov [details]
additional source Cattrijsse, A. & M. Vincx. (2001). Biodiversity of the benthos and the avifauna of the Belgian coastal waters: summary of data collected between 1970 and 1998. <em>Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs: Brussel, Belgium.</em> 48 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors
[request]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Unreviewed
Breeding Category Vagrant [details]Description Length: 46-67 cm. Plumage: two morphs; light morph above brown with darkish cap, below white with brownish wash on breast, sides of neck and head yellowish; dark morph above and below sooty brown; both morphs with white at base of primaries; two central rectrices elongate, straight and pointed. Immature lacks elongate rectrices; barred above and below. Bare parts: iris dark brown; bill pinkish brown to brownish black with a black tip; cere whitish; feet and legs bluish grey to black. Habitat: open ocean and inshore waters. Palearctic migrant. <389><391><393> [details]
Dimensions Length: 19" (48 cm); Wingspan: 42" (107 cm) [details]
Distribution circum-arctic [details]
Distribution northern North America [details]
IUCN Red List Category Least Concern [details]
Reproduction Breeds on the Arctic coast and northern islands of Europe, Asia and North America nesting on the tundra. Winters offshore over the oceans of the world from New England, southern California, and the British Isles, south to Argentina, Chile, Australia, and Cape of Good Hope. [details]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgarian | Среден морелетник | [details] |
| Danish | almindelig kjove | [details] |
| Dutch | kleine jager | [details] |
| English | parasitic jaegerArctic skua | [details] |
| French | stercoraire arctiquelabbe parasite | [details] |
| German | schmarotzer-RaubmöweSchmarotzerraubmöwe | [details] |
| Hebrew | חמסן טפיל | [details] |
| Icelandic | kjói | [details] |
| Japanese | クロトウゾクカモメ | [details] |
| Lithuanian | smailiauodegis plėšikas | [details] |
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Γερακοληστόγλαρος | [details] |
| Norwegian Bokmål | tyvjo | [details] |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | tjuvjo | [details] |
| Polish | wydrzyk pasożytnywydrzyk ostrosterny | [details] |
| Russian | короткохвостый поморник | [details] |
| Scottish Gaelic | meirleach artach | [details] |
| Slovenian | bodičasta govnačka | [details] |
| Spanish | págalo parásito | [details] |
| Swedish | kustlabb | [details] |
| Turkish | korsan martıkorsan marti | [details] |
| Ukrainian | Поморник короткохвостий | [details] |
| Welsh | sgiwen y Gogledd | [details] |
To Barcode of Life (18 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (893 publications)
To Biological Information System for Marine Life (BISMaL)
To Dyntaxa
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Stercorarius parasiticus)
To GenBank (98 nucleotides; 14003 proteins)
To Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)
To IUCN Red List (Least Concern)
To NMNH Extant Collection (usnm 491646 - stercorarius parasiticus pygostyle)
To NMNH Extant Collection (usnm 502331 - stercorarius parasiticus pygostyle)
To PESI
To ITIS
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (893 publications)
To Biological Information System for Marine Life (BISMaL)
To Dyntaxa
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Stercorarius parasiticus)
To GenBank (98 nucleotides; 14003 proteins)
To Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)
To IUCN Red List (Least Concern)
To NMNH Extant Collection (usnm 491646 - stercorarius parasiticus pygostyle)
To NMNH Extant Collection (usnm 502331 - stercorarius parasiticus pygostyle)
To PESI
To ITIS
