Grey-faced petrel elevated to full species

[Neil Fitzgerald]

A new endemic species for NZ.

Wood JR, Lawrence HA, Scofield RP, Taylor GA, Lyver PO’B, Gleeson DM (In press) Morphological, behavioural and genetic evidence supports reinstatement of full-species status for grey-faced petrel, Pterodroma macroptera gouldi (Procellariiformes: Procellariidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

I believe based on mitochondrial DNA, plumage variation, shape, bone structure, vocalisations, external parasites, and feeding and breeding biology. More to come when it's published.

[Ian Southey]

Here's the full paper

https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... ellariidae

Interesting to see fig 3 with the White-headed Petrels on the Antipodes coming out fairly differently from those elsewhere, including the Auckland Islands.

Ian