THE SOUTHWESTERN NATURALIST 42(3):302-311 SEPTEMBER 1997

PROCELLARIIFORMES OCCURRENCE AT THE AND SONORAN DESERT

MICHAEL A. PATTEN AND F&HARD A. MINNICH

Department of Biology, University of , Riverside, CnliJornia 92521 (MAP) De@ tment of Earth Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Califmnia 92521 (RAM)

bSTR4CT--we reviewed Sonoran Desert occurrences of Procellariiformes (albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, and storm-petrels) through August 1996. Most occurrences (27 of 35, 77.1%) were at the Salton Sea, California. Records show a non-random seasonal distribution between late April and late September of species that occur regularly off Mexico during summer. Procellariiform records correspond with annual southerly monsoon flows through the Gulf of California, and with concomitant increases in sea surface temperatures of adjacent waters off southwestern Mexico such that a more uniform habitat is established with the Gulf of California.

RtsuMF.N---Revisamos la ocurrencia de Procellariiformes (albatroses, petrels, pardelas y pairios) en el desierto de Sonora hasta agosto de 1996. La mayoria de ocurrenrias (27 de1 35, 77.1%) tuvieron lugnr en Salton Sea, California. Los registros muestran una distribution estacional no al azar entre fines de abril y fines de septiembre de las especies clue regularmente se encuentran en Mexico durante el verano. Los registros de Procellariiformes corresponden con el monzon anual que fluye de1 sur a traves de1 Golfo de California y con 10s incrementos concomitantes de Ias temperaturas de la superficie de1 mar de aguas adyacentes al suroeste de Mexico ya que se ha establecido tm habitat mas uniforme con el Golfo de California.

Procellariiformes is the only avian order sion was caused by alluvium deposition by the whose members are truly pelagic; all 93 of the into the Imperial and world’s species return to land only to breed valleys. Lake Cahuilla, a salt or brackish lake, (Harrison, 1985). Twenty-eight species of pro- grew as large as 5,400 km2 when the Colorado cellariiforms have been recorded in California River flowed west into the basin (Blake, 1914, waters, i.e., within the United States Fisheries 1915). Because daytime summer temperatures Conservation &me, which is within 320 km of average > 40” C, high evaporation rates led to the nearest point of land in California. This the frequent desiccation of Lake Cahuilla procellariiform richness is unequaled in any when the Colorado River flowed to the Gulf of other state but Hawaii (DeSante and Pyle, California (Norris and Norris, 1961). The Sal- 1986). In spite of their highly pelagic nature, ton Sea was created by floodwaters of the Col- there are 27 records of eight species of pro- orado River from 1905 to 1907 (Kennan, cellariiforms from the Salton Sea and sur- 191’7). The Salton Sea has since been main- rounding deserts of southeastern California, tained by irrigation runoff from agricultural and there are eight procellariiform records, in- field flooding with waters brought from the voIving at least four species, elsewhere in the Colorado River to the Imperial Valley and the Sonoran Desert. via the All American Canal The Salton Sea lies 130 km east of the Pacific and Coachella Canal. It has also become reg- Ocean and 190 km north-northwest of the Gulf ularly visited by various oceanic/coastal bird of California in a structural basin that repre- species, such as the brown pelican (Pebmnus sents the northwestern extension of the Gulf occidentalis) and the yellow-footed gull (Icarus of California. This hypersaline lake lies within Zivens), each of which occurs in the thousands. the bed of historic Lake Cahuilla, “a much The hypothesis that procellariiforms became larger forerunner of the Salton Sea” (Norris “trapped” in the Gulf of California and then and Norris, 19til). The topographic depres- moved northward into the Salton Sea and sur- Septrmber I!)97 Patten and MinnichSonoran Desert procellariiform occurrences rounding desert (McCaskie, 1976, 1984, 1993b; Dunn and Unitt, 1977; Rosenberg et al., 1991) suggests that procellariiform occurrences in the interior of the southwestern United States are random vagrancies. Nevertheless, this en- trapment hypothesis only describes a situation; it does not explain it. How do procellariiforms reach the Salton Sea and how do they initially become “trapped” in the Gulf of California? Procellariiform occurrences at the Salton Sea may be related to climatic and biogeo- graphic factors, including prevailing seasonal surface wind patterns through the Gulf of Cal- ifornia and seasonal sea surface temperatures off western mainland Mexico. Reasonable ex- 0 planations for the occurrence of procellari- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Ott Nov Dee iforms at the Salton Sea and in the Sonoran Desert include direct relationships with tropi- MONTH cal cyclones, El Niiio-Southern Oscillation con- FIG. l.--Seasonal distribution of procellariiform ditions, and normal summer wind circulations records for the Salton Sea and the Sonoran Desert off western mainland Mexico and in the Gulf based on first date of occurrence. Each month is of California. This paper summarizes procel- divided into halves, with records plotted accordingly. lariiforms records for the interior of the south- and investigates these possible causal relationships. Desert show a distinct seasonal pattern of oc- currence from late April to late September, in- MEnroDs-Records of procellariiforms from the clusively, with a peak in mid-July (Fig. 1). Ob- Salton Sea, Coachella Valley, Imperial Valley, and server coverage at the Salton Sea is uniform Lower Colorado River Valley were obtained from year-round, although coverage may be greater Garrett and Dunn (1981), Rosenberg et al. (1991), in winter, when temperatures are hospitable. regional reports published in American Birds, and pa- Although the overall pattern of procellariiform pers published in Western Birds. These records were records is consistent, the timing, frequency, plotred by date of first occurrence and tabulated by and distribution of occurrences varies with spe- year. Additional information about the validity of specific records was obtained by examination of cies. Unless otherwise stated, an evaluation of specimens (live records are supported by extant Daily Weather Maps indicates that all occur- specimens), California Bird Records Committee rences were during normal spring and summer (CBRCj files at the Western Foundation of Verte- weather. There were onshore surface flows brate Zoology in Camarillo, California, and field from the Pacific anticyclone to the thermal low notes and photographs from Barbara A. Carlson, pressure over the desert. Skies were mostly Guy McCaskie, Robert L. MrKernan, and Michael A. clear. Southerly winds extended from the Gulf Patten. Records treated herein were considered of California into the Sonoran Desert. Upper valid (1) if lhey were accepted by the CBRC or (2), winds of the jet stream were light. Laysan al- for records of species not reviewed by that body, if batrosses were recorded in late spring during specimen evidence, photographs, or written docu- mentation were judged by ns to be sufficient to sup northwesterly winds into the Coachella and Im- port the record’s validity. These data were searched perial valleys. for correlations between specific procellariiform oc- Laysan albatross (Diomedea immutabilis)- currences and weather data obtained from Daily There are six records of the Laysan albatross Weather Map, a historical summary of Mexican west for the Salton Sea area, one of which involves coast tropical cyclones (Smith, 1986), and hurricane two individuals. Most records are from the first season summaries in the Monthb Weather Reuieu,. half of May. The first inland record was 5 May 1976 when a bird was seen flying west-north- REsuI.Ts-The 35 procellariiform records west at the southern base of Morongo Pass from the Salton Sea and surrounding Sonoran (McCaskie, 1976; Dunn and Unitt, 1977). In 304 The Southwesti Naturalist vol. 42. no. 3

1984, a bird was seen regularly from 21 May to and Webster, 1990; CBRC 150-1988); a photo- 20 June from Desert Shores north to the graph of it was published (Anonymous, 1988). Whitewater River delta, with two birds photo- This record is one of only two for the conti- graphed together on 9 June (McCaskie, nental United States (Pyle and McCaskie, 1984a,b). On 6 May 1985, a Laysan albatross 1992). was seen to “collide with power lines” in San BuZZ& shearwater (Puffinus bulleri)-The Gorgonio Pass (McCaskie, 1985; uncatalogued only inland record for North America of this specimen at the Natural History Museum of south/central Pacific species was an injured or County). Another Laysan albatross sick bird captured 6 August 1966 at the White- hit a power line 9 May 1991 near the head- water River delta (San Bernardino County Mu- quarters of the Salton Sea National Wildlife seum 31447), This record was the first of a pro- Refuge (McCaskie, ‘1991a) and subsequently cellariiform for interior southwestern North died (San Bernardino County Museum 54388). America (Audubon Field Notes 20:599). The most recent Laysan albatross record is of Sooty shearwater (Puffinus griseus)-There one observed 2 May 1993 soaring over the Sal- are nine records from late April through mid- ton Sea at North Shore (McCaskie, 1993a; R. August, with most in June and July. The first L. McKernan, in litt.). record of this species in the Sonoran Desert There are two Laysan albatross records from was an “extremely fat” female collected 6 June the Lower Colorado River Valley, and a ques- 1971 along about 58 km east of tionable report from the Anza-Borrego Desert. Yuma, (Quigley, 1973; University of Ar- On 14 May 1981 a Laysan albatross was found izona 10316). All other records are for the Sal- in Yuma and another was found dead 18 July ton Sea and vicinity, with the first being a bird 1988 along the Gila River east of Yuma (Rosen- observed 14 August 1971 in northward flight berg et al., 1991). The other inland report of from Desert Shores (McCaskie, 1971, in litt.). I,aysan albatross comes from the southern end Sooty shearwaters were observed 16 June 1984 of Blair Valley in the Anza-Borrego Desert, at various locations near the Whitewater River where putative remains of this species were delta (McCaskie, 1984b), and 28 April 1989 fly- found 28 May 1982 (McCaskie, 1982). Because ing across Interstate 10 near Indio (McCaskie, no remains were saved (Unitt, 1984:241), this 1989). Sooty shearwater observations 14 July report is not considered in our study. 1990 at the New River delta, 20 July 1990 at Cook’s petrel (Pterodroma cookii)-There are Desert Shores, 21 July 1990 at the Whitewater four records, all for July. A Pterodroma seen dai- River delta, and 25 July 1990 near Red Hill ly 24-29 July 1984 at the Whitewater River del- were probably of the same individual (Mc- ta (McCaskie, 198413) was believed to be P. cook- Caskie, 1990). A sooty shearwater was found 6 ii based on known range, but the morpholog- ically similar Defillipe’s (P. de$lippiuna) and Py- July 1991 on a road by the New River 4 km south-southwest of Seeley (McCaskie, 1991b; croft’s petrels (P. pycrofti) could not be eliminated by the description, sketches, and San Diego Natural History Museum 47577) photographs (Dunn, 1988; CBRC 1961984). and another was observed 13 July 1991 flying Another apparent Cook’s petrel was observed south past Salton City (McCaskie, 1991b). Last- 10-11 July 1993 at the Whitewater River delta ly, two sooty shearwaters were found dead on (McCaskie, 1993b). What was judged to be the 24 August 1996 near Oasis (C. McGaugh, S. J. same bird was observed 17 July 1993 off Poe Peterson, in litt.). Road at the southwestern corner of the Salton Leach’s storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucor- Sea, and 25 July-6 August 1993 at various lo- hoa)-Two subspecies of Leach’s storm-petrel cations around the north end of the Salton Sea have been observed at the Salton Sea. On 15 (McCaskie, 1993b). Two more Cook’s petrels September 1976, in the aftermath of Tropical were at the Whitewater River delta 15 July Storm Kathleen, a dark-rumped individual be- 1995, with one remaining near Corvina Beach lieved to be 0. L chapmani was seen near Red through 23 July (McCaskie, 1995). Hill (McCaskie, 1977; Garrett and Dunn, Wedge-tailed hurwater (Puffinus pacificus)- 1981) _ A white-rumped individual (probably 0. A dark-morph bird was photographed 31 July 1. beali, but perhaps 0. 1. willetti) was seen irreg- 1988 at the Whitewater River delta (McCaskie ularly from 30 June to 21 July 1984 at various September 1997 Patten and Minnich-Sonoran Desert proceilariiform occurrences 305

points around the Whitewater River delta DIscussIoN-Procellariiform occurrences at (McCaskie, 1984b). the Salton Sea and in the surrounding Sono- Black dormpetrel (Oceanodroma melania)- ran Desert are not seasonally random. Thus, One observed 28 September 1986 at the the hypothesis that procellariiforms became Whitewater River delta (McCaskie, 1987) was “trapped” in the Gulf of California and then the first inland record for North America, al- moved northward into the Salton Sea and vi- though a storm-petrel seen 11 September 1976 cinity (McCaskie, 1976, 1984b, 1993b; Dunn in Las Vegas was felt by the observers to be this and Unitt, 1977; Rosenberg et al., 1991) is species (Lawson, 1977). merely a phenomenological explanation. We Least dorm-petrel (Oceanodroma microso- explored the following potential causal rela- ma)-Between 500 and 1,000 least storm-pet- tionships: (1) Mexican west coast tropical cy- rels were observed on the Salton Sea after clones, (2) sea surface temperature patterns Tropical Storm Kathleen struck the region 10 and El Nitio-Southern Oscillation conditions, September 1976 (McCaskie, 1977). They were and (3) normal summer wind circulations off first detected on 12 September 1976 at various western mainland Mexico (Sinaloa to Oaxaca) locations around the Salton Sea. Most had de- and in the Gulf of California from May/June parted within a week, but eight were still pres- through September. ent on 21 October 1976 (McCaskie, 1977). The Mexican West Coast Tropical Storms-Tropical storm al50 brought least storm-petrels to the cyclones form regularly in the eastern Pacific, Colorado River Valley: two at Cottonwood Ba- mostly south of Mexico between June and Oc- sin, Lake Mohave, 12 September; 50-70 at Las tober, with highest frequencies in July and Au- gust (Gerrish and Mayfield, 1989). The timing Vegas Bay, Lake Mead, 14 September, and one of cyclones coincides with the period of occur- above , Lake Mohave, 17 September rence of procellariiforms in the Sonoran Des- (Kaufman, 1977; Lawson, 1977). A least storm- ert, but aside from the storm-petrels associated petrel observed 10 July 1993 at the Whitewater with (Kaufman, 1977; River delta (McCaskie, 1993b) is the only in- McCaskie, 1977), only one procellariiform rec- terior record not associated with Tropical ord has been directly attributed to a tropical Storm Kathleen. cyclone: an unknown storm-petrel observed af- Other Procellatiiform+-A “large storm-petrel ter Hurricane Lester on 24 August 1992 in Ar- with a dark rump and a forked tail” was ob- izona (Rosenberg and Stejskal, 1993). This served 11 September 1976 during a football storm traced a path through the northern Gulf game in Las Vegas Stadium. As noted by Law- of California into northern Sonora by 24 Au- son (1977), “Though the bird appears on the gust 1992, and “probably was a minimal trop- University of , Las Vegas game films, the ical storm as far inland as Tucson, Arizona” segment is too brief for positive species iden- (Lawrence and Rappaport, 1994). Hurricane tification.” The occurrence of this storm-petrel Kathleen was first detected 5 September 1976 was clearly related to Tropical Storm Kathleen. as a tropical disturbance roughly 550 km west Another storm-petrel observed 24 August 1992 of Acapulco (Fors, 1977). It intensified and in southern Arizona in the wake of Tropical tracked slowly north-northwest, then north- Storm Lester may have been a least storm-pe- ward, crossing Punta Eugenia, trel, but details are inconclusive (Rosenberg Sur, and north-central Baja California to the and Stejskal, 1993). A procellariiform seen in Salton Sink. This cyclone retained tropical the early morning of 10 July 1993 at the Wbite- storm intensity (Fors, 1977; Smith, 1986) and water River delta was thought by the observers produced winds of 66 knots at the Salton Sea to be a Bulwer’s petrel (BuLweria bulwerii; on 10 September. In the aftermath of Kath- McCaskir, 199313; CBRC 118-1993), but this leen, 500-1000 storm-petrels were found at six sighting is supported by ambiguous details. An locations. all-dark shearwater (Pu.jk~s sp.) observed 10 It is doubtful that the four procellariiforms July 1993 flying south past Salton City “with first recorded on 10 July 1993 were related to deep, graceful wingbeats, interspersed with oc- Hurricane Calvin, which entered the mouth of casional glides” was too distant to be identified the Gulf of California 8-9 July 1993, 1,400 km to species (McCaskie, 1993b). to the south (Avila and Mayfield, 1995). Oth- crwise, there were no tropical cyclones near TUSIE l-Years with EI Niiio and La Nilia events western Mexico during the other procellari- (Dim and Kiladis, 1992; Minnich, unpubl. data) and iform occurrence dates (Smith, 1986; “Eastern procellariiform occurrences at the Salton Sea and in North season” summaries in the Sonoran Desert. Monthly WPnthm Rmim, 1985-1995). Many trop- ical cyclones tracing a northwesterly path from Procel- Iariiform Central America may indirectly influence pro- Year El Nifio 1.a Nina occurrences cellariiform occurrence at the Salton Sea by “forcing” birds toward the mouth of the Gulf 1965 X of California. However, prevailing surface 1966 X winds could achieve the same effect. 1967 l3 iVi&&mthern Oscillation (ENSO)-Anom- 1968 1969 X alous warm water appearing in the coastal and 1970 x equatorial ocean waters off of Peru and Ecua- 1971 x dor, termed the El Niiio-Southern Oscillation 1972 X (Rasmussen and Wallace, 1983; Philander, 1973 x 1990), has devastating effects on seabirds (Ain- 1974 ley and Lewis, 1974; Bock and Larson, 1983; 1975 X Schreiber and Schreiber, 1984; Ainley et al., 1976 X X 1988; Glynn, 1988). Many procellariiform spe- 1977 ties have a specific range of sea surface tem- 1978 1979 peratures through which they forage and dis- 1980 perse (King, 1974). Above normal sea surfare 1981 X temperatures along western North America 1982 X during ENS0 events may facilitate dispersal of 1983 warm water species northward into the Gulf of 1984 X California (set, Tershy et al., 1991); dispersal of 1985 X cold water species would be discouraged. 1986 X X If procellariiform occurrences at rhe Salton 1987 Sea are correlated with El Nifio-Southern Os- 1988 X X cillation events, two predictions can be made: 1989 X 1990 X (1) procellariiforms would appear inland only 1991 X X during El Niiio years (or in greater numbers 1992 X or with higher- frequencies in those years), and 1993 X X (2) warm water species would account for the 1994 records. Dichotomous data (Table 1) show no 1995 x X correlation between ENS0 events and procel- 1996 X lariiform occln-rences (4 = 0.11, P > 0.50). Furthermore, there were no procellariiforms found inland during 1982 or 1983, the most face flows are accompanied by westerly winds intense ENSO event on record (Philander, of the jet stream aloft and the onshore move- 1990). Similar-ly, procellariiform occurrences ment of the Pacific trade wind layer across the are not strongly correlated with 1,a Nilia or Baja California peninsula. Beginning in May or “cold” events in the equatorial Pacific Ocean June, the poleward retreat of the jet stream is (c$ = -0.17, P > 0.30). Hence, the second pre- replaced by the North American monsoon in diction likewise does not hold for cold water which tropical maritime air moves northward birds, including Buller’s shearwater and along the Gulf of California in the southwest- Cook’s petrel. ern deserts (Figure 2; Santamaria-del-Angel et Mmsnon Flows in the Calf of Cal@-nia-Pre- al., 1994). Sea surface temperatures of west vailing surface winds along the Gulf of Califor- mainland Mexico climb sufficiently to establish nia are predominantly from the northwest an isothermal gradient from western Mexico from October through April or May (Figure 2; into the mouth of the Gulf of California (Hal- Santamaria-del-Angel et al., 1994). These sur- pert and Ropelewski, 1989; Philander, 1990), i. . ..J 1 \ California

l-

Frc:. P.--Prevailing winds in the northern Baja California peninsula in: (A) J.anuary and (B) July. Source: Secret%ria de Agricultura y Recursos Hidr5&icos, Division Hidrometrica, Ensanada, Baja California (nnpuhl. data). forming an essentially contiguous habitat be- most procellariiforms are moving in a north- tween western Mexico and the Gulf of Califor- ward direction from April through September, nia (cooler Waters extend south along the west- but in a southward direction from October ern edge of the Baja California peninsula to through March. The Salton Sea lies below sea Jalisco, Nayarit, and southern Sinaloa from No- level and most of the Mexicali, Imperial, and vember through April, isolating the warmer Coachella valleys are less than 100 m altitude. water in the Gulf of California). Thus, procel- The Salton Sink is bordered by high-elevations lariiforms normally ranging throughout waters to the west (the Peninsular Ranges), north off western mainland Mexico from May (the Transverse Ranges), and east (the Oro- through September would find contingous copia and Chocolate mountains), forming a habitat extending northward up the Gulf of natural northward extension of the Gulf of Cal- California. i\s most bird species await favorable ifornia, and thus would tend to exert a strong tailwinds before dispersing or migrating (Rich- “oasis effect” on these normally sea-going ardson, 1978; Terrill, 1991; cf. Pyle et al., birds. 1993), steady northward surface winds during Salton Sea procellariiform records are con- summer would facilitate procellariiform occur- sistently of those species that are most com- rence in the Gulf of California. Northward mon off western Mexico (Table 2). The black movement of “trapped” procellariiforms into storm-petrel and least storm-petrel both nest in the Salton Sea and Sonoran Desert would be the Gulf of California (Anderson et al., 3976; expected for three reasons: (1) prevailing Wilbur, 1987). The pink-footed shearwater southerly surface winds of the Gulf of Califor- (P~fJ;nus crenlr~pus), sooty shearwater, and nia extend northward to the Salton Sink and black-vented shearwater (P. r@sthomrlns) are along the Colorado River; (2) because procel- regularly seen in the Gulf of California, with lariiforms fly near the ocean’s surface, birds the sooty shearwater appearing “sometimes in straying to the southwestern deserts would large numbers” (Wilbur, 1987). I,aysan alba- tend to migrate over low-lying areas; and (3) tross records are increasing in the Gulf (New- 308 vol. 42, no. 3

TABLE 2-ProceIIariiforms ranging at sea off western mainland Mexico from May through September. This table was compiled from information presented by King (1974), Harrison (1985, 1987)) Pitman (1986), Spear et al. (1992), and Howell and Engel (1993). Species of “regular occurrence” are those whose normal range includes waters off western mainland Mexico. Species of “rare or uncertain occurrence” have been recorded in waters off western mainland Mexico only sporadically, or are on the fringe of their normal range in those waters.

Species of regular occurrence Species of rare or uncertain occurrence

Laysan albatross (Diomedea immutabilis) black-footed albatross (Diomedea nigripes) Cook’s petrel (Pterodroma cookie] Tahiti petrel (Pterodroma rostratn) pink-footed shearwater (J’uffinus cm&pus) Juan Fernandez petrel (Pterodroma externa) wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacijicus) dark-rumped petrel (Ptmodroma phaecpygia) Buller’s shearwater (Puffinus bulleri~ Parkinson’s petrel (h-oc~llaria parkinsonz) sooty shearwater (Puf$nus griseus) Wilson’s storm-petrel (Ocean&s oceanicus) Townsend’s shearwater (Puffinus auricularis) band-rumped storm-petrel (Oceanodroma castro) black-trented shearwater (Puffninus opisthomelas) ashy storm-petrel (Oceanodroma homochroa) Audubon’s shearwater (Puffinus lherminien] Markam’s storm-petrel (Oceanodroma markhami) Leach’s storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) wedge-rumped storm-petrel (Oceanodroma tetkys) black storm-petrel (Oceanodroma melania) least storm-pcatrel (Ocpnnodroma mirrosoma)

comer and Silber, 1989). The Salton Sea dark- dients may preclude their crossing of seas or morph wedge-tailed shearwater record is con- the peninsula into the Gulf of California. sistent with the distribution of this dimorphic The early May Laysan albatross records, be- species: light-morph individuals predominate fore the onset of southerly monsoons, may be in central Pacific populations, e.g. Hawaii, partly unrelated to other procellariiform oc- whereas dark-morph birds predominate in col- currences. Whereas the dispersal fate of small- onies on the Revillagigedo Islands off western er procellariiforms such as petrels, shearwa- Mexico (King, 1974). Five “species of regular ters, and, especially, storm-petrels are probably occurrence” have not been recorded in the heavily influenced by tailwinds, large albatross- desert southwest, even though pink-footed es are not passive fliers. Sanger (1974) dis- shearwater and black-vented shearwater are cussed a sharp northward movement of this regularly recorded in the Gulf of California species in late April and early May in the east- (Wilbur, 1987). The wedge-rumped storm-pe- ern Pacific Ocean, coinciding with all Laysan trel (Oceanodroma tethys) has also been record- albatross records for the Gulf of California ed in the Gulf of California (Helbig, 1983). (Newcomer and Silber, 1989) and with six of The large number of storm-petrels displaced the eight records for the Salton Sea and So- by Tropical Storm Kathleen probably owe their noran Desert. The other two records are prob- occurrence to monsoon flows because these ably attributable to monsoon flows. birds were most likely swept northward from their regular- range in the Gulf of California SUMMARY-Highly pelagic procellariiform rather than being transported over the Sierra species at the Salton Sea and in the Sonoran JuBrez (cf. Kaufman, 1977). Desert have occurred between late April and By contrast, none of the “species of rare or late September, inclusively, and involve species uncertain occurrence” west of Mexico (Table that nest or occur regularly off western main- 2) have been recorded at the Salton Sea or in land Mexico during these months. Annual de- the Sonoran Desert. Offshore distributions of velopment of persistent monsoon surface the black-footed albatross (Diomedea nign’pes) winds from May through September, coupled and ashy storm-petrel (Oceanodroma homochroa) with formation of contiguous warm sea surface in Mexico tend to be limited to cold, upwe!lling temperatures extending from off western seas west of Baja California. Strong habitat gra- mainland Mexico northward into the Gulf of September 1997 Patten and MinnichSonoran D(Dsert procellariiform occurrences 309

California, provides a vector for the occasional Ba, W. P. 1915. Sketch of the region at the head dispersal of procellariiforms into low-lying ar- of the Gulf of California: a review and history. eas of ehe Sonoran Desert, where the Salton Pp. l-35, in The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sea provides the only suitable oasis. Most pro- Sink (H. T. Gory, ed.). John J. Newbegin, San Francisco. cellariiform occurrences do not correspond to BOCK, C. E., AND D. LARSON. 1983. The changing tropical cyclones, El Nina-Southern Oscilla- seasons:. winter 1982-3, wherein the unexpected tion, or La Niiia events. and the unexplained prove how very normal the season was. American Birds 37~275-277. We thank the following for assistance and infor- DESANTE, D. F., AND P. PIXE. 1986. Distributional mation: Eugene A. Cardiff (San Bernardino County checklist of North American birds. Artemisia Museum, Redlands, California), Kimball L. Garrett Press, Lee Vining, California. (Natural History ‘Museum of Los Angeles County, DIAZ, H. F., AND G. N. KILADIS. 1992. Atmospheric Los Angeles), and Philip Unitt (San Diego Natural teleconnections associated with the extreme History Museum, San Diego) allowed examination phases of the Southern Oscillation. In: Diaz, H. of specimens in their care. Barbara A. Carlson, Rich- F. and U. Markgraf, editors. El Nhio: historical ard A. Erickson, Matthew T. Heindel, Curtis A. Mar- and paleoclimatic aspects of the Southern Oscil- antz, Guy McCaskie, Chet McGaugh, Robert L. lation. Cambridge University Press, New York. Pp. McKernan, Douglas M. Morton, and Stacy J. Peter- 7-28. son supplied field notes, photographs, and other in- DUNN, J. L. 1988. Tenth report of the California formation. The , Riverside, Bird Records Committee. Western Birds 19:129- California, and the National Hurricane Center, Mi- 163. ami, Florida, provided assistance and advice. Maria DUNN, J., AND P. UNIX. 1977. 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