Kia ora,
Today I found a beach wrecked seabird at Tataraimaka Beach, a few hundred metres south of Cape Egmont Lighthouse. It had a blue plastic band around it's right leg. The writing was MWATU 2021 1943.
I've submitted a report to the DOC banding office but I thought I should report it here too because I'm sure there are people who are interested.
I couldn't identify the species. The head was missing and the maggots were well into it. The tail was blueish with a wide black band. The leading edge and lesser covert feathers were also blueish and almost looked like fledging feathers, they were fluffy, but that could have been because they were wind blown. However, the primaries and secondaries were brownish. It was about the size of a large prion. I have gory photos if anyone wants me to share them.
Stunning beach, by the way. Not a lot going on bird wise, but a nice walk along a rugged coastline. Further south I saw a workup of several hundred gannet and black-back gulls, and a few white-fronted tern. There were probably other interesting seabirds but they were just beyond the range of binoculars.
Banded seabird
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Banded seabird
Vaughan Turner
Birding Remotely
Birding Remotely
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Re: Banded seabird
Hmmm. Starting to wonder if it isn't just a rock pigeon. Might explain the mixture of blues and browns. Also, it had red legs, and no webbing.
Vaughan Turner
Birding Remotely
Birding Remotely
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Re: Banded seabird
Manawatu Racing Pigeon?
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Re: Banded seabird
I think Jan is right. The pattern on the band fits what I remember from dealing with 2 live pigeons that turned up at Spirits Bay during one of our trips there a few years ago. The website with the reporting information is here http://www.prnz.org.nz/found-pigeons. Obviously in your case the care of the bird is irrelevant, but the owner might be interested to know where their bird met its demise.
- Neil Fitzgerald
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Re: Banded seabird
If it had no numbered metal band on either leg that does suggest it is not a wild bird.
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Re: Banded seabird
The band address is definitely what you see on racing pigeons and most likely a bird from Manawatu region. I have been sucked in by grey feral pigeons washed up dead on beaches. The ones with dark tail tips do look a prion if they are missing a head. But red legs without webbed feet is the solution to its ID.