Memorandum to: The Director of Birds Australia

From: Birds Australia Rarities Committee (BARC)

Date: 17^th September 2007

Voting Members: Danny Rogers Mike Carter

Niven McCrie John Hatch

Tony Palliser Andrew Silcocks

Glenn Holmes Rohan Clarke

cc. David Stewart

Submission No. 507: Broad-billed Prion Pachyptila vittata, Dee Why, Sydney NSW, 7th June 2000. Submitted by Penny Drake-Brockman.

Verdict: Accepted

A sight record without photographic evidence of a Broad-billed Prion P vittata watched at close range by three people from Long Reef, Sydney NSW on the 7^th June 2000

The submission is supported by excellent field-notes and sketches and carefully considers the more regular prion sp. that reaches the coast of NSW. The size compared to Fairy Prion, very dark crown, dark eye-line, narrow white supercillium, bill structure and colour (drawn dark in the sketch) serve to confirm the identification and eliminate all other species.

Salvin’s Prion P salvini is very difficult to eliminate but the dark bill, location, time of year, skill of the observers are all positive factors swaying most on the committee to vote in favour.

References & Bibliography

Enticott, J. & Tipling, D. (1997), Photographic Handbook of the Seabirds of the World, New

Holland, London.

Marchant, S. & Higgins, P.J. (Eds) (1990), Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic

Birds. Vol. 1, Ratites to Ducks, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

Harper, P.C. (1980), ‘The Field Identification and Distribution of the Prions (genus Pachyptila),

with Particular Reference to the Identification of Storm-cast Material’, Notornis 27:

235-286.

Harrison, P. (1983), Seabirds: an identification guide, Croom Helm, Beckenham, Kent.

Harrison, P. (1987), Seabirds of the World: A Photographic Guide, Christopher Helm, London.

Tony Palliser

Chair: Birds Australia Rarities Committee