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Transcription
Pterodroma phaeopygia
0720 Nov.7
Three birds flying together, coming close
to ship.
Description: General size and shape wedgetail
like (almost as apparent as Pt. altum).
Upper part uniform dark brownish-grey with
darker primaries, secondaries, and tail. White
forehead and black cap patch. Under parts pure
white, no partial collar like wedgetail.
Underwing with wide dark border like
wedgetail.
Nov. 10
One individual evidently flew from under
the bow. The bird was uniformly dark
brown above with darker edging of feathers
giving it a scaled appearance. The primaries and
secondaries, and tail were darker brown than
the rest of the dorsal surface. The white forehead
to eye level and darker ear patch was a major
difference from a wedgetail, although the bird
appeared smaller. The underparts were clear
white. The under wing coverts were white within
wide (2") dark border, perhaps more evenly cut
than a wedgetail.
Nov. 26
One individual flew close to ship accompanied by
3 wedgetails. At once the white forehead made the
bird look drastically different from the wedgetail.
In feet stoleros appeared white handed with a dark
"sun" patch
Pterodroma sp.
2 Dec 1866
One Pterodroma observed in a flock
of Pt. altum.
Description - Uniform gray-brown, almost
cachy colored. Under very grey, brown
reflecting slight silverish like a slate
underwing. In good light the underwing
was completely brown without pattern.
The bird was viewed close and had
no visible pattern.
General shape and size was slightly
smaller than Pt. altum with slender
wings. Shape was similar to Kermade,
but general appearance very different.
Most Kermades have a dark underwing
with light patch at the base of
primaries. This individual had a light
brown underwing without any marking.
Kermade appears to have a wide
wing from long secondaries while the
bird had a slender underwing with
shorter secondaries.
Flight was typical of Pterodroma in
that the bird slapped occasionally
and soared in high arcs turning
completely sideways to the wind.
The bird was not any dark Puffin
since I am quite familiar with all species
in that genus and the shape of this
bird did not fit any Puffins species.
Believe to be Pt. altum
Pt. neglecta of slightly different shape
and light underwing without markings.