Alaska, Kelez, September-October 1965
Page 54
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Transcription
Puffinus creatopus. Pink-footed Shearwater. Although no specimens were taken, we felt sure that we saw this shearwater at 45° 51'N, 173° 02'E mixed in with a flock of New Zealand Shearwaters. The dusky sides to the breast were in direct contrast to the immaculate underparts of the New Zealand Shearwater's. The Pink-footed Shearwater has been recorded from Forrester Island in southeastern Alaska. There are no records from the Northwestern Pacific. Puffinus carneipes. Pale-footed Shearwater. We first saw this shearwater at 45° 51'N, 173° 02'E on 12 October. We collected ten and saw an estimated 100 in the area. Our most southerly record was at 41°N 173°E and the most northerly 47° 39'N, 173° 05'E. These birds have been reported previously from this latitude in the Hokkaido Island area of Japan. Puffinus bulleri. New Zealand Shearwater. The distribution of this species followed closely with that of the above shearwater in our area. Six were collected from a flock of about 100 on 12 October at 45° 51'N, 173° 02'E. Our most northerly record is at 47° 39'N, 173° 05'E. This shearwater was found in this area by Kuroda in 1955. Puffinus griseus. Sooty Shearwater. Some of our problems in distinguish- ing this species from the following were solved with the collecting of 19 specimens south of the Aleutian Islands. There is but one previous record (specimen) from the Aleutians. We saw it last year in the immediate vicinity of Attu and Agattu and this year in the vicinity of Kiska on the Bering Sea side. It is apparent from our records that this species becomes more common as you progress westward through the islands. The largest concentrations were in the vicinity of 45°N 173°E.