Cape Petrel

Scientific Name: Daption capense

Population Estimate: 2M

Range / Habitat: Pelagic bird of the southern Pacific Ocean. Breeds on islands of Antarctica as well as Auckland Islands and Chatham Islands of New Zealand.

Field Notes: Medium-sized seabird with distinctive black and white checkered back as able. Head solid dark. Underparts white with black leading edge to wings.

Personal Notes: Seen in the Foveaux Strait off Stewart Island. Known as Cape Pigeon in New Zealand.

Sooty Shearwater

Scientific Name: Puffinus griseus

Population Estimate: 20M, Near Threatened status

Range / Habitat: Sooty Shearwaters breed on small islands in the south Pacific and south Atlantic Oceans, mainly around New Zealand, the Falkland Islands, Tierra del Fuego and also in the Auckland Islands and Phillip Island off Norfolk Island.

 

Field Notes: A large shearwater. In the Atlantic, the only one that appears uniformly dark sooty brown above and below, with silvery whitish wing linings. Bill and feet dark. This slender, narrow-winged seabird skims on stiff wings over the waves, alternately gliding and flapping.

  

Personal Notes:

 

Northern Fulmar

Scientific Name: Fulmarus glacialis

Population Estimate: 15M - 30M, Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Breeds on steep sea cliffs in the circumpolar Arctic to subarctic. Winters at sea from ice-covered northern waters down to temperate zones.

Field Notes: Medium-sized seabird, generally gull-shaped but heavier body. White head and underparts with grey mantle like some gulls, but pale patches in primaries apparent in flight. Eyes with dark smudge and tube nose distinctive. 

Personal notes: One of our favourite sights in Iceland -- nesting Northern Fulmars.