(OceonodromoFirstRecordofhornb Ringed forStorm-PetrelNorth America PETERPYLE ßTHE INSTITUTE FORBIRD POPULATIONS ßP.O. BOX 1346 ß POINT REYES STATION, CALIFORNIA 94956ß EMAIL: [email protected] I GARYFRIEDRICHSEN ß1521 BUTTERMILK LANEßARCATA, CALIFORNIA 95521I THOMAS STAUDT ß1511 EAST HAMPTON STREET ßTUCSON, ARIZONA 85719 I CORNELIA OEDEKOVEH ß8070 LAJOLLA SHORES DRIVE ßPMB182 ßLA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA 92037ß EMAIL: [email protected] I LISAT.BALLAHCE ßECOSYSTEM STUDIESPROGRAM ßSOUTHWEST FISHERIESSCIENCE CENTER, NOAA FISHERIES ß8604 LA JOLLA SHORES DRIVE ß LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA 92037 ß EMAIL:[email protected]
Abstract wason a west-northwesterlycourse (285 ø true muchof the observation,with occasionalturns We observeda Ringed Storm-Petrel (Oceanodro- heading) at position33.57 ø N, 120.40ø W, over to the side. Its bill was small and black, with mahornbyi) off SanMiguel Island, Channel Is- the coastalslope off the ChannelIslands. Fhe fusednaricorns visible on theupper surface. Its lands,California, on 2 August2005, represent- bottomdepth was 1704 m, seasurface tempera- plumagewas distinctive, with whiteforehead ing the first recordof this SouthAmerican turewas 17.03 ø C, andsahmty was 33.58 psu. A and1oral region; disunct dusky "hood" over the speciesfor North America. This paper discusses low sea-surface-height anomaly was centered a• crownand auriculars;grayish-brown nape be- thespecies' distributional history and puts the 33ø N, 120ø W, markingthe presence of a cold- comingbrowner posteriorly and towardthe discoveryinto an oceanographic context. coreeddy in surroundingwaters. Mean back- scapularregion; prominent pale brown carpal scatterintensity was strong,indicating high barsin theupperwing through the distal lesser, Field Encounter oceanproductivity within the eddy, while just to median,and proximal greathersecondary On 2 August2005, the authorsobserved and the west of the observation location there was a coverts;blackish secondaries. primaries. and photographeda Ringed (or Hornby's)Storm-Pe- frontbetween the boundary of theeddy and a rectrices;grayish rump and uppertailcoverts; trel(Oceanodroma hornbyi) 22.2 km (12.0nauti- less-productivewater mass. whiteunderparts with a distinctbrown collar cal miles [nmi]) west-southwestof the western- Fhe RingedStorm-Petrel was observed from throughthe breast; and dark underwing coverts mostpoint of San MiguelIsland. Channel theflying bridge of thevessel, which is situated (Figures1-3). These features are characteristic Islands,California. This represents the first con- approximately10 m abovethe watersurface. of RingedStorm-Petrel and combine to rule out firmedrecord of thisSouth American species in Thebird flew parallel to theship at distancesof all otherstorm-petrels and other species within the NorthAmerican region as definedby the 40-80 m for approximately2 minutes, before Procdlariiformes(Harrison 1983, 1987). The AmericanOrnithologists' Union (A.O.U. 1998). transectingthe ships path approximately 75 m primarieswere in molt, with pI-p4 new or We recordedthis storm-petrel while aboard in frontof the bowand veering northward. A growing,p5 missing or just developing, and p6- theNOAA Ship David Starr Jordan, as part of the highmarine layer was present and seaswere p10 olderand browner (Figures 1-3). The re- Southwest Fisheries Science Center's CSCAPE light, affordingexcellent observation condi- mainderof theplumage was worn and slightly project(),a five-month 10x, and mounted 25x binoculars, and dergoingbody molt as well. surveyfor marine mammals and birds covering Oedekovenobtained 44 digitalimages (Figures watersup to 552km (300nmi) off thePacific 1-3) with a Canon20D cameraand 400mm lens. Discussion coastof North America(see additional article in Descriptionsof the storm-petrel and copies of all RingedStorm-Petrel is frequentlyobserved at thisissue). At 1756PDT on 2 August,the ship 44 imageshave been archived by theCalifornia sea in the Humboldt Current from central Bird RecordsCommittee, Chilenorth to Ecuador(Murphy 1922, 1936; which has acceptedthe Mills 1968).It is thoughtto breedin aridre- record as the first for Cali- gionsof Peruand northernChile (Murphy forma (Hamfiton et al. 1936,Mills 1968,Spear and Ainley, in press); 2006). recentrecords from Huarazto Arequipaat 2300-3400 m elevation in the central Andes of Identification Peru(N. Hidalgo,E. Malaga,M. Ugarte,pers. Thestorm-petrel appeared comm.)suggest breeding in thisarea, but thus similar in size to several far no colonyhas been located. A femalecol- Black Storm-Petrels (O. lectedby Spearand Ainley(in press)with a melania)observed during partiallyformed egg off Peru in lateNovember, theafternoon. It hadpro- coupledwith recordson land of grounded portionatelybroad wings fledglingsin Juneand July, indicate a protract- anda long,forked tail. No edbreeding season spanning the austral fall. projectionof feetor toes Duringextensive surveys in the Humboldt wasobserved beyond the Current,Spear and Ainley (in press)recorded tail tip (Figure1). It flew over 1800 individuals between 32 ø S and 3ø S in a continuouslyflapping andfound higher densities to thesouth during manner within 2 m of the Figure1. RingedStorm-Petrel, 2August 2005, 22.2 km west-southwest ofSan Miguel Island, Call theaustrai spring and to thenorth during aus- fornia.Note the long forked tail and distinct uppe•art coloration diagnostic ofthis species. Images watersurface, with deep tralfall, indicating seasonal migration to winter presentedhere have been cropped and enlarged but are otherwise unaltered from the miginal. wingbeats. It maintained groundscloser to theequator. Spear and Ainley Pl•raph byCornefta Oedekoven, ¸Protected Resources Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center. a horizontalaspect for alsofound them more abundantly over coastal
162 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS RI•-GEDSTORM-PETREL- 1
was typical of other uscript,and DebtShearwater and LeslieLieu- adult seabirds on a bo- rancefor posung images of thebird on ,helping to communicate hapsindicating that it the observation. had been in the North- ern Hemisphere for Literature cited some ume. It also could AmericanOrnithologists' Union [A.O.U.]. 1998. have representedan TheAmerican Ornithologists' Union Check-list adult or subaduh that o] NorthAmerican Birds. Seventh edition. had strayedacross the AmericanOrnithologists' Union, Washing- equator during Ihe ton, D. C. post-breedingphase of Bern,A. C. 1922.Life Histories of NorthAmeri- theannual cycle. can Petrels and Pelicans and their Allies. U.S. Storm-petrelsand National Museum Bulletin 121: 1-335. other seabirds are Gray,GR. 1853.On a newspecies of Thalas- knownto landon ships sidroma.Proceedings Zoological Society. ofLon- and become stranded don 21: 62. fordays or evenweeks, Hamilton, R. A., M. A. Patten,and R. A. Erick- Figure2.Ringed Storm-Petrel, 2August 2005, 22.2 km west-southwest ofSan Miguel Island, CalifomJa. Notethe dark underwing coverts and distinct brown breast collar. Photograph byCornelia Oedekoven, after which they might son,eds. 2006. Rare Birds of California: A Pub- •ected ResourcesDivision, Southwest Fisheries Science Center. bereleased in portsfar licationof Western Field Ornithologists andthe from their normal CaliforniaBird Records Committee. Western ContinentalShelf waters than over pelagic wa- range.It ispossible that the Ringed Storm-Petrel FieldOrnithologists, Camarillo, California. tersand found increasing densities with increas- wastransported to California in thismanner. We Hilty,S. L., andW L Brown.1986. A Guideto ingsalinities >33.5 psu and decreasing sea-sur- suggest,however, that this and other Southern theBirds of Columbia.Princeton University face temperaturesbetween 12 ø and 23ø C. Hemisphereseabirds reported from Califorma-- Press,Princeton, New Jersey Overall,at-sea records am confinedto watersbe- includingShy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta), Harrison,E 1983. Seabirds:An Identification tween33 ø S and 1ø S (Murphy1936); a speci- Light-mantledAlbatross (Phoebetria palpebrata), Guide.Houghton Mifflin. Boston. Massachu- mencollected in July 1979from lsla Gorgona WanderingAlbatross (Diomedea exulans), Great- setts. (03ø 07' N, 78ø 15'W), of[Columbia (Hilty and uangedPetrel (Pterodroma macroptera), and Lit- .1987.Seahrds of theWorld: A Photograph- Brown1986), is theonly published record north tieShearwater (PuJfinus assimilis)--be treated in ic Guide.Princeton University Press, Prince- of theequator. a consistentmanner and, without evidenceto ton,New Jersey. Thetype specimen of RingedStorm-Petrol is thecontrary, as naturally occurring vagrants. Mills,E. L. 1968.Observations of the Ringed of an undatedindiwdual reportedly collected Storm-Petrel off the north-west coastof South from "thenorthwest coas! of America"(Gray Acknowledgments America. Condor 70: 87-88. 1853)by Rear-AdmiralSir Phipps Hornby, who We thank the officers and crew of the NOAA Murphy,R. C. 1922.Notes on rubinares, includ- hadsupposedly commanded the "Pacific Station ShipDavid Starr Jordan for accommodatingus ing recordswhich affect the A.O.U.Check- on VancouverIsland "(Bent 1922). E. W Nelson duringthe CSCAPE Survey, cruise Chief Scien- list. Auk 39: 58-65. laterreported sight observations of this species tistKarin Forney for supportand information, .1936.Oceanic Birds of.South America. Vol- southof theAleutian Islands during May and HollyFearnbach and Tim O'Toole for accompa- umes 1 and 2. American Museum of Natural October1887 (Bent 1922). A lackof subsequent nying us in the observation,and ElizabethL. History,New York, New York. records in the North Pacific has caused or- Zele and Candice Hall for information on the Spear,L. B.,and D. G.Ainley. in press.Storm-pe- nithologiststo questionboth the collection lo- oceanographyat the observation location. Na- trelsof the easternPacific Ocean: abundance, calityof thetype specimen and the identificafon taly Hidalgoand MauricioUgarte (Colecci6n distribution, habitat use, and behavior. of thebirds reported by Nelson(Murphy 1922, Cientifica del Museo de Historia Natural, A.O.U.Monographs. A.O.U.1998). Admiral Hornby commanded the Universidad San PacificStation in Valparaiso(rather than Van- Agustin,Arequipa) couver)during 1847-1851, from which he re- andErnesto M•laga turnedto England in 1852,whereas his son, Ge- (Reserva Nacional offreyIhomas Phipps Homby, helped settle a dekachay) provided disputebetween England and the United States unpublishedinfor- at Vancouverand the SanJuan Islands in 1859. mation on records Ibe easternboundary current system waters of RingedStorm-Pe- of theHumboldt Current, where Ringed Storm- trel in Peru, and Petrolsoccur, am similar to those found off Wayne Hoffmann southernCalifornia, and the xeric coasdineof andAngus Wilson Peruand Chile is similarin topographyto that provided back- of theChannel Ishnds. It ispossible that the in- groundon the type dividual we observedwas attracted to the area of specimen.We also observationby similargeographic (including thank Larry Spear coastalshelf) and oceanographic conditmns as and David Ainley F•jure3. Ringed Storm-Petrel, 2August 2005, 22.2 km west-southwest ofSan •guel Island, California. Notethe thosefound in itsindigenous range. The storm- for information and distinctupperwing pattern and molt of prirnaries, withpl-p4 new, p5 missing orgrowing, and p6-p10 oldor and petrel'sstate of plumage wear and timing of molt reviews of the man- worn.Photograph byCornelia Oedekoven, ¸Protected Resources Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center.
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