[Maine-birds] Pomarine Jaeger on the beach at Popham Beach

I was forwarded a report of a Parasitic Jaeger photographed at Popham Beach, but the bird is a rarer (for on land) Pomarine Jaeger. Mike Fahay got some terrific photos that illustrate good ID points and potential pitfalls of jaeger identification, even for adult birds. Photos are in Mike's excellent eBird report here:

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S30069547

The central tail feathers are so worn, like the rest of the bird, that it looks those feathers are the narrow spikes of a Parasitic. The spoon-shaped tips are worn away. I suspect this bird would actually have been easier to ID if those misleading central tail feathers were missing!

The diagnostic features of Pomarine Jaeger shown by this bird include: the black of the crown sweeping below the bill and surrounding it by crossing the chin; and the bicolored bill (paler dark reddish-brown base) on a bird in definitive plumage (determined by all black underwing coverts). The black of the cap on Parasitic and Long-tailed Jaegers meets the base of the bill but does not surround the base of the bill like this. The structure and build of this bird is classic Pomarine, being heavy-bodied and broad-winged through the "arm" (inner wing basal to wrist) with the "hand" pointed but not as long-tapered as Parasitic. The bill is heavy and parallel sided along most of its length, a typical shape for Pomarine. The photos are also good enough to show the heavy "lid" over top of the bill—side note: "pomarine" means lidded nostrils (poma = lid or cover; rhinos = nostrils).

This is a scarce bird on land or even within sight of land. We see many offshore on our pelagic trips, especially in fall. That said, Doug Hitchcox and Paul Miliotis saw a Pomarine Jaeger flying over a blueberry barren just east of Ellsworth on this same day, June 4th, in 2012 (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S10914907).

Thanks to Mike for uploading his photos to eBird, which now archives photos and audio recordings allowing anyone to access that material like an online museum.

Louis Bevier
Fairfield

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