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Salvin’s salvini captured alive on beach at Black Rocks, Victoria, 27th July 1974

by Mike Carter

Fig. 1. Ailing Salvin’s Prion captured alive on beach at Black Rocks, Victoria, 27 July 1974

During a gale on 27th July 1974, a Salvin’s Prion was observed flying over the breakers just beyond the rocks on the beach at Black Rocks, Victoria. Obviously debilitated, it came ashore and sought refuge in rock pools. It was rescued but died within five hours. This observation was made by a group of local and international enthusiasts that included Dr Bill Bourne (from the UK), Gavin Johnstone & Noels Kerry from the Australian Antarctic Division, Peter Menkhorst, Richard Loyn, Paul Chick and me. Overseas and interstate visitors had joined locals to attend an International Ornithological Congress in Melbourne. The attached photos are recent digital copies of transparencies taken immediately after capture.

Dimensions in mm measured as described in Marchant & Higgins (1990) on 29-07-74. (L = left, R = right), Wing 191; Tail 94; Tarsus (L) 36.4, (R) 35.9; Middle toe (L) 45.2, (R) 45.7; Claw (L) 8.8, (R) 8.0. Culmen (C) 31.8; Width (W) 16.4; Ratio (C)/ (W) 1.94: Bill depth max 13.2; Bill depth min 7.2. Apparent bulk = 1/4CW(BDmax+BDmin) = 2661 cub mm. I find this generated number to be a good discriminator for identifying Victorian prion corpses. 2

Figs. 2 to 5. Ailing Salvin’s Prion captured alive on beach at Black Rocks, Victoria, 27 July 1974

Identification Identification at the time was based mainly on information in Serventy, Serventy & Warham (1971). This analysis also uses Marchant & Higgins (1990), Bretagnolle et al. (1990) and Menkhorst et al. (2017). This individual is distinguished from Broad-billed Prion P. vittata by its blue, not black, bill. Note however that the bill was fading to black even before death and was wholly black within a day or so of dying, see Figure 6 below taken on 5th August 1974, nine days after death and when the above photos were taken. Also bill width was too small for that species and outer edges viewed dorsally (plan-view) were only slightly not markedly bowed. Also ratio of bill length to width at 1.94 is far too large for that species. It is distinguished from P. desolata by 1) large extent of visible lamellae when bill closed, 2) small maxillary unguis (nail), bill too long (> 31 mm), bill too wide (>16 mm), bill dark, not pale, blue. Whilst the dimensions are mid-range for Salvin’s they are within the range of MacGillivray’s Prion P. macgillivrayi, but near the lower limit of wing length, bill length and bill width for that taxon. In my view the 3 bill colour is too pale and bill sides not bowed enough for MacGillivray’s. So as we concluded on the day we saw it but with scant information regarding MacGillivray’s, I still consider that it was a Salvin’s Prion.

Fig. 6. Ailing Salvin’s Prion captured alive on beach at Black Rocks, Victoria, on 27 July 1974 photographed on 5th August 1974 after it died. Note that the bill is now black, no trace of the original blue remains.

References & Bibliography Enticott, J. & Tipling, D. (1997), Photographic Handbook of the of the World, New Holland, London. Marchant, S. & Higgins, P.J. (Eds) (1990), Handbook of Australian, & Antarctic . Vol. 1, Ratites to Ducks, Oxford University Press, Melbourne. Harper, P.C. (1980), ‘The Field Identification and Distribution of the Prions ( Pachyptila), with Particular Reference to the Identification of Storm-cast Material’, Notornis 27: 235-286. Harrison, P. (1983), Seabirds: an identification guide, Croom Helm, Beckenham, Kent. Harrison, P. (1987), Seabirds of the World: A Photographic Guide, Christopher Helm, London. Menkhorst, P., Rogers, D., Clarke, R., Davies, J., Marsack, P. & Franklin, K. (2017), The Australian Guide, CSIRO, Victoria, Australia. Onley, D. & Scofield, P. (2007), Albatrosses, and of the World, Christopher Helm, London. Shirihai, H. (2007), A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife, A&C Black, London.