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Case Summary for:
Submission No 222: Erect-crested Penguin Eudyptes sclateri; Twelve Apostles, VIC, 23rd February 1997 Submitted by: Roger Hicks. Verdict: Accepted This case relates to a record of a penguin that was apparently first located by National Park rangers at the Twelve Apostles along Victoria's Great Ocean Road on 20 February 1997 and was independently found by the originator on 23 February 1997. The bird stayed to complete its moult, until it was last seen on the evening of 14 March 1997. Being a well known tourist destination and in a location free from harassment below an inaccessible cliff face, the bird was seen by many bird-watchers and tourists that visited the area throughout this period. Copies of field notes and sketches along with a written account of the sighting and a photograph were provided in the submission. The colouration, large size, dark throat, bill colour and size made it immediately apparent that this bird was one of the crested penguins Eudyptes. The notes although understandably brief, do pay particular attention to the extent of markings on the underside of the flipper and detail the extent of the superciliary stripe and bill size & shape. this allowed the originators to positively identify this bird as an Erect-crested Penguin. Committee members had some difficulty assessing the finer detail of the notes, however like the originator came to the conclusion that this bird was a moulting juvenile due to the grey colouration on the cheeks & throat and the reduced superciliary stripe. The position and size of the superciliary stripe which started near the gape instead of the nostril and the bold black leading edge to the underside of the flipper helped to eliminate Snares Penguin E. robustus, Fiordland Penguin E. pachyrhynchus and Rockhopper Penguin E. chrysocome (HANZAB 1990) and the committee accepts the identification put forward.
References and Bibliography
Tony Palliser |