Birding-ozzies:
I'm wondering about the subspecies of Great Frigatebird F. minor in the west
Pacific. Traditionally (Peters) palmerstoni breeds in the west and central
Pacific and presumably wanders about in the area. However Mark Brazil (1991:
The Birds of Japan) states that minor is a visitor in the Iwo (Volcano) and
Ogasawara (Bonin) Is mainly Jul-Nov. These birds may come from the Paracel
Is colony (South China Sea) or possibly further (Cocos and Christmas Is in
the Indian Ocean). Thus minor and palmerstoni apparently both occur in the
southwest Pacific. But.. (and HANZAB is no help here) the New Zealand
Checklist (1990) followed Condon (1975: Checklist of the birds of Aust Vol
1) in listing the race of NZ birds (visitors only) as peninsulae (Mathews
1923, Raine I).
For those who have access to Condon, what is the breeding (and at sea) range
of peninsulae? Does Condon list other races of Great Frigatebird?
Any help much appeciated!
Ross
Ross Silcock
Tabor, IA
New Zealand Land and Pelagic Trips
<http://sidney.heartland.net/silcock>
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