New records of fossil birds from the Pliocene of Kallo, Belgium

We present new records of fossil birds from the Pliocene deep marine deposits of the Kattendijk and Kallo Sands Formations of Belgium. Hitherto the only bird formally described from these deposits is the giant flying alcid Alca stewarti. Now we note the presence of two more named fossil species with...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dyke, Gareth J., Walker, C.A.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: 2005
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/205247/
Description
Summary:We present new records of fossil birds from the Pliocene deep marine deposits of the Kattendijk and Kallo Sands Formations of Belgium. Hitherto the only bird formally described from these deposits is the giant flying alcid Alca stewarti. Now we note the presence of two more named fossil species within the genus Alca (A. ausonia, A. antiqua), along with a fragmentary record of a taxon even larger than Alca stewarti. In addition to these seabirds, new records of a puffin (Fratercula sp.), a skua (Stercorarius sp.), and a small passerine (Allotacilla sp.) are presented. This collection of fossil birds comprises part of the first Pliocene avifauna to be described from Belgium and appears to be remarkably consistent in its composition to deposits of the same age in North America.