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Case Summary for:
Submission No 228: Snow Petrel Pagodroma nivea; Macquarie Island, 7 October 1994. Submitted by: Paul Schofield. Verdict: Accepted This record relates to a sighting of two birds west of Macquarie Island (54017’S 155018’E) inside Australian Territorial waters 7 October 1994. The sighting was made aboard the "R.S.V. Aurora Australis" which had departed Macquarie Island the previous evening on its way to Davis Base in Australian Antarctic Territory being only 180 nautical miles from the Island at the time of the sighting. The submission briefly outlines a white pterodroma-like petrel slightly smaller than accompanying Cape Petrels Daption capense with a slimmer build and narrower wings. A small dark smudge was present immediately behind the eye. The tail broad and slightly wedge -shaped and usually held spread. The bill was black and the legs appeared pink. The observer was careful to rule out any possibility of an albino Cape Petrel, eliminating this species by the smaller size, buoyant flight and obvious wedge-shaped tail. Members had no hesitation in unanimously accepting this record, pointing out that this species is straight forward to identify when observed well. As the observer states the size, white colouration and the wedge-shaped tail rules out the possibility of any other petrel, including possible albino Cape Petrel (Reid 1993). This leaves no doubt as to the birds identity. The Snow Petrel is normally confined to areas south of the Antarctic Convergence with records further North in Australian waters confined to a record from Heard Island in the winter of 1948 (Gilchrist 1952). Although other sight records are claimed this is the first confirmed sighting of this species accepted by the committee.
References and Bibliography
Tony Palliser |