Greg,
I am sure you have hit the nail on the head here and that your reasoning
does indeed suggest that White-necked Petrel would be the most likely
species off the NSW coast.
As for my "source" this was brought about because discussions with other
birders recently went something like this "if one cannot readily
separate the two in the field then chances are we could be dealing with
a species with similar migratory habits to that of the 'New Caledonian'
race of Gould's Petrel" and so, to add even more fuel to the fire (and I
think it was Mike that informed me here) the only specimen thus far in
the Sydney Museum is of a Vanuatu Petrel (I presume this is your one?).
So I started the thread to stir the pot. Thanks for the detailed
information Mike - now to dig out my photos and see what I can make of
them.
Like Greg, I cannot stress enough how very difficult it is to judge size
in the field even when other species are available for comparison.
Seabirds can vary a great deal in size. So let us all look very closely
at any White-necked Petrels.
Thanks for all the responses
Happy sea birding
Tony
-----Original Message-----
From: Greg & Val Clancy
Sent: Sunday, 10 February 2008 10:48 AM
To: Tony Palliser; 'Edwin Vella'; 'Birding-aus'
Subject: NSW - Sea watch from Magic Pt,Maroubra - 9th
February 2008
Hi Tony,
I would be interested to know who your source is as being the only
living
person to have seen the species in "the wild" (lying dead on the Pacific
Highway, north of Port Macquarie, NSW!!) I have the opposite view. I am
presuming that the 1927 American Museum of Natural History Expedition
members, who collected the only other known specimens off Vanuatu, have
passed on. I am also not sure of the veracity of the claim that one was
observed from a ship in a harbour in Vanuatu but I was led to believe
that
it was not confirmed.
The roadkilled/storm blown specimen that I collected in 1983 north of
Port
Macquarie is still the only confirmed record of the Vanuatu Petrel in
Australia. A recent injured bird cared for by WIRES appears to be a
White-necked Petrel on measurement, although this is being confirmed as
the
specimen is being forwarded to the Australian Museum. The only other
specimens that have been collected in Australia, two in the Ballina, NSW
area, and I understand a couple in south-eastern Queensland, are all
White-necked Petrels Pterodroma cervicalis. So on balance it would
appear
that most specimens observed off the NSW/Queensland coast would be
White-necked but Vanuatu can't be ruled out. The entirely dark grey
exposed
primaries ventrally is a Vanuatu character but apparently does occur in
some
White-necked Petrels. Size is the best distinguishing character but
this is
difficult (? impossible) to tell in the field.
If anyone has different slant on this interesting saga please correct
me.
Greg Clancy
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