Seabirds found dead on New Zealand beaches in 1988, and a review of Puffinus species recoveries

• Main Authors: R G Powlesland, M H Powlesland
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1992
• Subjects: Antarctic; New Zealand; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctic Petrel; Antarctica; Brown Skua; Catharacta skua; Thalassoica antarctica
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1061.5016; http://notornis.osnz.org.nz/system/files/Notornis_40_4_233.pdf

ABSTRACT In 1991, 4780 km of coast of New Zealand were patrolled and 6955 dead seabirds were found as pan of the Beach Patrol Scheme. An unusual find was a Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon mbricauda), and more than usual were found of the Antarctic Petrel (Thalassoica antarctica), White-headed Petrel (Pterodroma lessoniz), Little Black Shag (Phalacrocorax sulcirosnis) and Brown Skua (Catharacta skua Ionnberp). A summary is given of the coastal and monthly distributions of Moms and Sula species found during the 1943-1991 period. Overall, 5637 Australasian Gannets (Moms serrator) were found, mainly on beaches of the northern half of the Nonh Island. The peak period of adult recoveries was in December-February, but that of juveniles was in February-May. Both the Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) and the Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra) are vagrants to the New Zealand mainland, with four and one individuals respectively having been found by patrollers.