ML638773799

觀察細節

425p Woah! Steaming in and scanning NE with bins, I spotted what I thought was a distant shearwater that was heading ENE, but after looking at pics at home and talking with Sam Z., seems it was something more interesting! (I said to Sam, "I guess it’s a very good thing I’ve never heard of that!”). Sam’s summary: “Good points favoring Juan Fernandez: tiny black mark at the wrist and black primary tips, otherwise clean white underwings, half-collar separated from face mask, small white rump patch in molt. Nothing else really looks like it, just a minor issue: IT’S IN THE WRONG OCEAN!!”. Indeed. Thanks Sam! I reviewed all the species of Procellariidae, and this species seems the best match. White-necked Petrel is probably the most similar to this species, “…but lacks bold white hindcollar…and has less blackish on anterior underwing, especially on carpal” (BOTW 2025). Several others that are similar are also ruled out by the clean-white underwings. While predominantly in the Pacific Ocean, this species has also been observed in the Indian (and probably also breeding there), as well as the South Atlantic (Tristan da Cunha and Gough), along with an inland record in Brazil. It seems today’s sighting may be the first in the North Atlantic; interestingly, in 2004 Richard Veit predicted the arrival of this species in Massachusetts.