birding-aus

Arabian ... new seabird for Australia?

To: jeff davies <>, simon mustoe <>, birding aus <>
Subject: Arabian ... new seabird for Australia?
From: robert morris <>
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:39:37 +0000
Hi Jeff
I don't disagree with anything you've said.
I wasn't suggesting at all that they could be Hutton's - they are clearly not.
Just out of interest the 'Arabian' form of Arabian Shearwater (persicus) (as 
opposed to the form which breeds on the Comoro Islands (temptator)) breed from 
May to November on the Hallaniyyat Islands off Southern Oman. I have seen many 
100s in later October off Mirbat. Given this, and assuming they are Arabian, I 
wonder where they originate from. Apparently there are huge flocks of 
'persicus'  in the gulf of Oman in November. Nothing is known about movements 
of the Comoro population. Perhaps they originate from the Comoro Islands?
Rob Morris



Brisbane, Australia




> From: 
> To: ; ; 
> 
> Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus] Arabian ... new seabird for Australia?
> Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2010 22:17:28 +1100
>
> G'day Rob,
>
> All of the birds photographed by Simon are in some degree of wing moult
> which might explain the lack of dark markings in the underwing, but some
> higher resolution images would be good to see in relation to this matter.
> Lack of breast band with a fair amount of white in the face and long tail
> points away from Hutton's which shares a similar under-wing pattern and
> would otherwise be more expected in this location at this time of year. As
> you have mentioned the fresh coverts are paler more brownish in tone
> dorsally, combined with the pink legs points away from Tropical Shearwater.
> These are low res images showing a high degree of white in the face
> especially in front of the eye above the lores, the amount may be an
> artifact of the low res but being more white in the face is not really a
> problem for Arabian Shearwater according to some of the photos I have come
> across and this would probably also work against Tropical Shearwater in
> favour of Arabian.
>
> Cheers Jeff.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: 
>  On Behalf Of robert morris
> Sent: Friday, 22 October 2010 9:55 PM
> To: simon mustoe; birding aus
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Arabian ... new seabird for Australia?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Simon
> An interesting discovery whatever they are. Well done!
> I have seen large nos. of Arabian (we used to call them Persian) Shearwaters
> in Oman (Mirbat) and small nos in the UAE when I lived there. There do look
> good for Arabian (which I think have also been recorded off Sri Lanka and
> India?)  but I remember a much darker underwing than this (more like a
> Hutton's underwing). Have a look at some of Jans Erikens shots from Mirbat):
> http://www.birdsoman.com/Birds/011-Petrels/PersianShearwater/PersianShearwat
> er.htm
> This could be moult / wear or the light / photos from you trip? Also I don't
> remember the eye looking so prominent (almost Little like) although Arabian
> can almost look like it has a poorly defined pale supercilium.
> I've seen Audubon's on the Seychelles (I think this is now 'Tropical') and
> their upper parts are a sooty black colour - but the white sides of the rump
> are not always an obvious feature. In essence Arabian and Tropical (the
> forms I have seen in the Indian Ocean) are like comparing a Balearic and
> Manx Shearwater - colouration wise (this will mean more to Poms who grew up
> sea watching off Cornwall!). These birds don't look like Tropicals I've seen
> in the Indian Ocean.
> This probably doesn't help much............!
> cheersRob Morris
>
>
>
> Brisbane, Australia
>
>
>
>
> > From: 
> > To: 
> > Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:09:10 +1000
> > Subject: [Birding-Aus] Ashmore Update and ... new seabird for Australia?
> >
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > We've just got back from the most awesome Ashmore Reef trip. The details
> are on the Bird-O front page. There's also a brief article on what we think
> is a wintering ground for Arabian Shearwater in Australian waters - which
> would be a new bird for the continent.
> >
> > More to come
> later...http://bird-o.com/2010/10/22/is-arabian-shearwater-a-new-wintering-s
> eabird-for-australia/
> >
> > Simon.
> >
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
> > Simon Mustoe
> > Tel: +61 (0) 405220830 | Skype simonmustoe | Email
> 
> >
> > Visit BIRD-O at http://www.bird-o.com
> > Follow BIRD-O on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/birdodotcom
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> >
> >
> >
> >
> >                                       ==========
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