Excellent shots, the Jackals seem to be higher in Covenant status if not necessarily rank than the Grunts. They often will be found in defensive positions fighting from behind their distinctive energy sheilds. A well-used shield makes a Jackal a difficult target, but the notch they use to return fire provides a weak spot that can be exploited.

NOTE: It's already been mentioned by others that the Jackal silouhette at Halo3.com has a much thicker, more prominent beak than Jackals did in Halo 2, and more closely resembles one variation of Jackal seen in Halo 1. Whether this is indicative of another revision in the Jackal character design, or just an error when choosing assets for the site, is not generally known; at least one mistake was already discovered in the site material, when it described the pistol in Halo 3 as a zoomed M6D rather than the non-scoped M6G.

Additional information revealed from other sources, such as the Joyride site, that mentions Jackals as unique among the Covenant due to their mercenary nature, is not mentioned here.