Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Long-tailed Jaeger
Scientific name:	[Stercorarius longicaudus]
Date:	10/14/2026
Time:	3pm
Length of time observed:	2 hours
Number:	1
Age:	Juvenile
Sex:	?
Location:	East Canyon Reservoir
County:	Morgan
Latilong:
Elevation:	Above 6000 foot
Distance to bird:	At one point less than 50 feet, bird land near me once.
Optical equipment:	Nikon camera and binoculars, ziess spotting scope
Weather:	Very overcast but not raining
Light Conditions:	Not great but ok
Description: Size of bird:	Larger than Sabine's Gull smaller than Ring-billed Gull both birds walked close by
(Description:) Basic Shape:	Gull
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	Gray and white
(Description:) Bill Type:	Sharp gull bill
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	Juvenile jaeger very light colored with lots of speckling especially around tail area, in flight pictures only outer two primary shafts were white, center tail feathers slightly longer than rest of tail, dirty yellowish coloring on head and neck. (see photos)
Song or call & method of delivery:	None
Behavior:	Flying around, walking along shore line picking at ground guess insects or other little critters wander in mud.
Habitat:	mud flats
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Pomarine Jaeger this species is way bigger than my bird. Parasitic Jaeger all plumages have darker coloring and have more than three white primary shafts mine bird only has two.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	Only Jaeger I seen in Utah twice prior. All three species seen on Pacific Ocean multiple times in all plumages.
References consulted:
Description from:	From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting
Observer:	Weston Smith
Observer's address:	Croydon Utah
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:
Date prepared:	10/14/26
Additional material:	Photos See ebird list for more photos and videos. https://ebird.org/checklist/S402382837
Additional comments:	nnina: