SEABIRD SUNDAY 20 September 2020 – Advanced by Karen Dick
This medium-sized seabird is a regular passer-by on our Eaglehawk pelagics in Tasmania, beyond the Continental Shelf. These birds seldom stop at the boat, but occasionally do a couple of sweeps around the boat before moving on.
Solution:
This bird is clearly a Petrel, with its short, stocky bill and nostrils joined into a tubenose. The angle of the photograph makes the wings look very long and this is always a challenge when identifying a bird from a photograph. The second photograph shows a more usual view.
The key ID features for this species are the chunky appearance and distinctive plumage. The white underbody, coupled with the dark underwings and grey collar wrapping around into a grey breastband, with a dark eye patch all lead us to Soft-plumaged Petrel (Pterodroma mollis). There is a dark morph of this species, but this morph is the usual form that is seen around Tasmania.
A small number of individuals breed on Maatsuyker Island off the south coast of Tasmania, but the vast majority breed in the Antipodes and Macquarie island. In Tasmania they may be seen in small numbers throughout the year, peaking during summer and autumn. A separate migratory population is seen in winter and spring in southwest WA.
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