Not a simple ID, but why isn't the Sooty Shearwater at this link a
Short-tailed?
To me, the shiny underwing with so little contrast is much more of a
Short-tailed feature, especially on the under primary coverts, where a
Sooty shows dark streaks which contrast sharply with the very white
background. This bird, like Short-tailed, shows a more silvery,
reflective-looking background, and the dark streaks are missing, or at
least showing very low contrast. They look more like shadings in the
feathers than clearcut areas of dark pigment. The low contrast between
the the shiny primary bases and the coverts is also a warning sign.
These features can be really hard to be sure of in the field, because
they are so light dependent, but these photos, especially the third, are
good enough in my opinion.
The general look of the bird also makes me think of Short-tailed, with
the small bill, small head, steep forehead, small tail, and long foot
projection. None of which would be definitive in itself, and I am sure
you could find pictures of both species showing and not showing these
features. But overall, it looks good for Short-tailed, doesn't it?
Cheers, Chris.
On 01/29/2012 06:25 AM, Nikolas Haass wrote:
Here are Raja's photos: www.adarman.com/Pelagics/2012-January-28-Wollongong
Cheers,
Nikolas
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