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?
A quick Google turned up a reference to Fiji Petrel (Pseudobulweria
macgillivrayi): "Mostly black feet with pale blue patch on centre of
inner web" and "Difficult to distinguish from Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria
bulwerii which has buff-coloured wing-bars running diagonally across
the upperwing surface and flies low over the sea." :
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=9974
(I'm not sure if this helps, or makes things worse.)
--
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Paul Taylor Veni, vidi, tici -
I came, I saw, I ticked.
===============================
www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
===============================
|
