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Hi Birders,
Edwin Vella asked on 16/3/2003 as to the status of
Masked Boobies in NSW and here are the details:
Despite Masked Boobies known to breed on both Lord
Howe and Norfolk Islands, both off the coast of NSW, there have been very few
records for them on mainland NSW. Up to 1981 when the current Handlist of
Birds in NSW was published, there were only three records viz beachcast
biurds from Nambucca Heads Feb 1964, Evans Head Jan 1974 and Newcastle Sep
1979.
Since that time there have been the following
records:
1 beachcast Pebbly Beach Yuraygir NP
22/1/1983
1 off Ballina 21 /5/1985
1 seen off Point Danger, Tweed Heads 9/11/2000 -
accepted by NSWORAC
1 seen off Fingal Head 6/2/2002 - accepted by
NSWORAC
Total of 7 records. The NSWORAC has not
accepted one record for NSW in the period 1990-2003 but it is known that the
late John Izzard had reported one or more birds from the far North Coast
but made no submission to NSWORAC.
The Mask Booby remains one of the rarest birds
in NSW waters, as does the White-bellied Storm-Petrel that breeds on the
outlining islands of Lord Howe Island.
Alan Morris
Birding NSW Records Officer
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