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Beach Wreck ID assistance, please

Posted: Sat Feb 29, 2020 2:17 pm
by Threeps
Came across this beach wreck at Matarangi Beach, Coromandel on 16 Feb. I'm not familiar at all with petrels or similar and this looks to me like either a white faced storm petrel or a blue petrel. Am I correct or am I completely barking up the wrong tree? The blue legs suggest a blue petrel but the overall colour looks to be too dark to me.

Re: Beach Wreck ID assistance, please

Posted: Sat Feb 29, 2020 5:33 pm
by Steve Wood
Hi, do you have any shots of the bell/ underside?
A Pterodroma - may be a Mottled or soft Plumaged Petrel would be my guess Plain grey tail would eliminate many.
Not a Blue petrel or White-faced Storm petrel.

Re: Beach Wreck ID assistance, please

Posted: Sat Feb 29, 2020 5:51 pm
by Threeps
Thanks, Steve. These were the only two views I took - only after the fact did I think to turn it over!

Re: Beach Wreck ID assistance, please

Posted: Sat Feb 29, 2020 6:32 pm
by lloydesler
I folks, on the subject of Beach wrecks, I'm putting together the 2019 beach patrol stuff. Any beach patrol records for 2019 and earlier send them in asap.
Lloyd Esler esler@southnet.co.nz

Re: Beach Wreck ID assistance, please

Posted: Sat Feb 29, 2020 8:57 pm
by Clinton9
I think....Pycroft's petrel

Re: Beach Wreck ID assistance, please

Posted: Sat Feb 29, 2020 10:28 pm
by Oscar Thomas
I reckon Pycroft’s is a good bet as well.

Re: Beach Wreck ID assistance, please

Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2020 3:09 pm
by Threeps
Pycroft's Petrel! that looks like the best option to me. Thanks Clinton and Oscar.

Re: Beach Wreck ID assistance, please

Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2020 4:36 pm
by Steve Wood
So am I the only one who can see the tail is uniform grey? - it's not dark tipped,which would be consistant with Pyecrofts and some others Pterodromas species.
Check out Birds on line - pic by Graeme Taylor of Pycrofts entering burrow and clearly shows dark tip to tail.
Happy to be proven wrong.

Re: Beach Wreck ID assistance, please

Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2020 6:50 pm
by Weka1
Could you outline the identifying features for Pycrofts?

Re: Beach Wreck ID assistance, please

Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2020 7:35 pm
by Oscar Thomas
Steve I would say the tail plumage is certainly influenced by light, and in this pic looks pretty close to Pycroft's. The overall structure inc. wing and tail length, plus bill size and colour, and the dark head/eye patch are all pointers towards Pycroft's as well in my view.