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Which Shearwater?

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2 replies
Posted by Luke Ormand on July 15, 2010 at 7:51 PM
Which Shearwater?
I went out on a boat with my boss this afternoon to check on a tern colony (they apparently have all fledged as there were no birds in sight) and on our way we found this shearwater oddly well inside the bay. Is it a Manx or Audubon's? The underside of the tail seems to imply Manx but the coloration on the head and around the eye points more toward Audubon's - I've never seen both for the record.

P.S. Sorry for the poor quality... The boat was moving and the bird was doing it's best to not give us a great look at the face.

- Luke
Posted by Jim DeWitt on July 16, 2010 at 2:21 AM
It's a Manx, Luke. Note the post-auricular crescent. Additionally, the Audubon's would have a longer tail and dark undertail coverts.
Posted by Luke Ormand on July 16, 2010 at 9:02 AM
Jim,

Thanks for the ID!