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Hi folks,
I'm passing on the happy news that the record of
the Long-tailed Jaeger found in the ACT has at last been published. The
reference (abbr.) is: "Boles, W.E., Rose, A.B. & Olsen, J. 2004, 'A
Record of the Long-tailed Jaeger (S. l.) in the ACT', Australian
Field Ornithology 21:158-162. The bird's remains were found by Jerry Olsen
at a Peregrine Falcon's nest near Corin Dam on 11-11-1994. Identification is
based on osteology of the wing. It is well argued and sure looks convincing, as
presented, to me.
I wonder whether the COG Rarities Panel will do anything with
that, although it is now dated.
It was a good article. It quotes HANZAB that the bird usually
remains at sea. Maybe that is enough but I think that could have been a bit
better. The last sentence of the introduction states "... not surprisingly,
there are no records of the Long-tailed Jaeger for the inland section of the
ACT". This is true but it doesn't cite evidence for this. I suggest it
should have either have stated as "for inland eastern Australia" in
the broad sense or in the narrow sense supported this with the reference for the
history of discovery of birds in the ACT. In particular it should have cited
Wilson, S. (1999) Birds of the ACT: two centuries of change, COG,
Canberra. Steve's book exists precisely for this purpose and writing like this
should include prior literature. It could easily also have noted for interest
with one more sentence, that odd records for pelagic species are not
unprecedented in ACT, as we have the 1 Wedge-tailed Shearwater and 1 White-faced
Storm-Petrel prior record (as described in that book).
Better late than never, although it is a pity that it has
taken this long. I wonder (it doesn't say) when the identification was actually
made and whether it could have been available for Wilson to include in his book.
(No doubt all those involved had many other things to do in the intervening
years.)
Anyway it is good to have appeared at last and I am bringing
it to notice as probably most COGites and others on this list don't get
AFO.
Philip
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