This is the story as I understand it.
One night in January, a seabird flew through an open door into the home of
Lloyd who lives in the old Clunies-Ross mansion on Home Island in
Australia's Indian Ocean Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Thinking the bird must be
sick he put it in a box and next day passed it into the care of the National
Park Ranger, Ismail MacRae. Ismail took it back to his office 18 km across
the lagoon on West Island and force fed the bird on fish for a couple of
days. Somehow, the bird escaped, returned to Home Island and again flew into
Lloyds home. Lloyd tried to toss the bird out but I think it returned again.
Following a day of gale force winds the bird did not return!
From photos taken (three are to put on ABID), I identify the bird as a
Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii, a species not previously recorded from
the atoll or surrounding waters but known to occur at least in the northern
Indian Ocean. But the foot colour is not as described in the literature.
Onley & Scofield say 'Legs pale'. HANZAB says 'tarsi pink with outer side
sometimes darker'. That's OK but goes on to say 'feet usually greyish flesh
with some pink on webs'. On this bird they are virtually black. Can anyone
explain?
At least in spring, this species is common off northern WA and in the
Capricornia Channel off Queensland with vagrants to Victoria. Beach-washed
corpses are rare anywhere in Australia and I know of only one previous
record of a live bird ashore on any coast in Australia. That was a bird at
Broome which later died in care.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza VIC 3930
Tel (03) 9787 7136
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