birding-aus

Mis ID'd petrel on a web page

To: "Tom and Mandy Wilson" <>, "birding-aus" <>
Subject: Mis ID'd petrel on a web page
From: <>
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:04:51 +1100
Hi Tom,
It's a White-headed Petrel. The head is a bit more grey than usual - and few illustrations will show birds that appear this grey-headed - but individuals that look like this aren't that uncommon.

The White-headed Petrel in this pic is similar but the grey feathers around the head are either bleached or being replaced though moult by white feathers http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/image/96759915

Soft-plumaged Petrel can be ruled out as the grey on the head and breast band is usually much darker and they have dark grey tail feathers. All the other Soft-plumaged-like petrels (e.g. Fea's, Zino's can be ruled out for similar reasons).

There are a number of things wrong for Kermadec Petrel but the standouts are the all-dark underwing (Kermadecs show distinctive pale flashes in the outer 'hand' and across the outer coverts), and again the white tail (Kermadecs in all plumages show a dark tail and dark undertail coverts).

Cheers,
Rohan

Rohan Clarke
www.wildlifeimages.com.au



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