Seabirds

by Gunnar Engblom July 22, 2011 2

20 best birds of Lima pelagics, part 1

Pelagic birdwatching in Peru

I have arranged pelagics in Lima since 2000. We usually run around 10-12 pelagics per year. Since an accident last year, the port regulations in Lima for commercial activities at sea have become stricter. Even boats with permits to take tourists around, don’t have permit to go further than 16 nmiles (or 10 nmiles from San Lorenzo island), because of lack of specific security equipment for deep sea operations. Since, birding at sea is such a small activity per se, the boat owners we have used in the past are not very interested in investing.

Nevertheless, during the cold water season (June-August),we have had great success thus far this year with several of the best species seen with the limited range, but in the long run the only viable option for us is to get our own boat. During the summer months it will be essential to go out further at sea for the good birds. Having our boat would ensure flexibility as well as always collecting data for research.

Naturally, twelve trips per year will not be enough to make it economically feasable, so we shall compliment with whalewatching, which is very good in Lima, especially for little known species and forms (see this recent whale-watching blogpost). Nevertheless, we shall be needing some sort of guarantee that there would be enough participants. And this is where you come in.

How? You could become our sponsor with a payback that vastly exceeds your modest investment. A special offer which make you eligible to watch seabirds at sea for FREE in Peru for the rest of your life plus many other bonus features.

Hadoram Shirihai, Steve Howell and Peter Harrison make their testimonials below about the importance of continued pelagics from Lima.
Interested? Scroll on. If not, just scroll down a little bit only to see pictures of the 10 best birds of Lima pelagics. The next 10 will be presented in a future blogpost. Which species are you missing? Have you done a pelagic with us? Which species were your favorites? Do you have pictures to publish here on the blog or on the Kolibri Facebook Page?

The 20 best birds of Lima Pelagics – top 10.

1.Ringed Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma hornbyi

The Ringed Storm-Petrel or Hornby’s Storm-Petrel as it is also known is perhaps the most wanted of all the seabirds in Lima. It is very difficult to see in coastal waters, although we have struck lucky sometimes on shorter trips. One usually needs to go all the way to the continental shelf some 30 nmiles out. It is a large powerful Storm-Petrel which gets interested in the chum, but usually just makes a few turns and keeps a distance.
No breeding area of the Ringed Storm-Petrel is known. It may well nest inland. Individuals have been found at 3800 meters in the Cordillera Blanca in Ancash department.

2 Markham’s Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma markhami

Markham’s Storm-Petrel is the other Stormy high on the birders wishlist. It is also a powerful Oceanodroma. Blackish brown in color with a broad and usually quite prominent carpal bar. It often comes to the chum, but seldom as close as for instance White-vented Storm-Petrel below.

It is also usually found in deep water quite a ways out. Having said that we were lucky two see one recently on July 13 on a mini-pelagic to only 15 nmiles.

3. Peruvian Diving Petrel Pelicanoides garnotii

The Peruvian Diving-Petrel is numerous off San Lorenzo island (the large island you see in front of La Punta, Callao). It is a strange bird looking very much like a little auklet both in appearance, flight and behaviour. It takes off on the water with very rapid wingbeats – or makes a dive to get away from the boat.

4. Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata

Although, as you probably know, Waved Albatross principally breeds on Galapagos, you can almost always find this magnifiscent looking albatross in Peruvian Waters. Adults often take sabattical years from breeding and young may stay around the rich peruvian waters longer. We often see them also on our recent short pelagics.

The Waved Albatross is Critically endangered according to Birdlife International. Main threats seem to be bycatch in fishing procedures and direct hunting by fishermen at sea. According to one captain on a fishing boat in Northern Peru they “taste good“.

5. Inca Tern Larosterna inca

The prettiest tern of the world no doubt, the Inca Tern is easy to see well and one can see them even at the port at close range. It is by no means uncommon, but since it is such a popular and photogenic bird, it just has to be among the top 10 – don’t you agree?

6. Swallow-tailed Gull Creagrus furcatus

Another visitor from the Galapagos that can be seen almost all year around in small numbers. The pattern is like a giant Sabine’s Gull. The immature and the adult in non-breeding adult have a black goggle around the eye that gives it away. The Swallow-tailed Gull is active at night feeding on crusteceans, why we often find groups of birds sitting on the sea.

7. Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita

There are now five records from our Lima pelagics of the formerly Critically Endangered Chatham Alabtross. Recently it was downgraded to Vulnarable, but still with a small range only breeding on The Pyramid, a large rock stack in the Chatham Islands, New Zealand, it is a darn good bird to see in Peru. We have seen both adults and young birds. Best time of year to see one in Peru is between May and August. Sorry about the crappy photo. It is the only one I have got.

8. Northern Giant Petrel Macronected halli

The Northern Giant Petrel was according to older literature hypothetical in Peru. It turns out it is actually as regular, or maybe even more regular than the Southern Giant Petrel. We see all dark immatures with pink-tipped bills yearly and often relatively near the coast. Our records from 2002-2007 are summerized in this paper in Marine Ornitology journal.

9. South Polar Skua Stercorarius maccormicki

South Polar Skua is less common than Chilean Skua, although through the years we have seen it between April to November. It is slenderer, much darker and with a smaller bill, than Chilena Skua.

10. White-vented Storm-Petrel Oceanites gracilis

White-vented Storm-Petrel is the most common Storm-Petrel off the Peruvian coast, yet it is one of my favorites. They are very fragile – a small Storm-Petrel that trips on water. They are always the first tubenoses that come to the chum. Yet, they are not easy to seperate from Wilson’s Storm-Petrel – or the other way around as Wilson’s Storm-Petrel is much rarer. If the diagnostic white belly is not seen, the best feature is the light butterfly-like flight with rapids wingbeats. Wilson’s Storm-Petrel is steadier in flight.

Special offer for pelagic lovers.

Now you know what is awaiting you when you come to Peru and do pelagics with us. And don’t just take my word for it.

The importance of Lima as a destination for seabirders is evident. See what other pelagic experts have to say.

Steve N. G. Howell, author and tour leader with various book such as Birds of Mexico, Gulls of the Americas and Petrels, Albatrosses, and Storm-Petrels of North America, in press with Princeton) argues:

Lima is one of the best areas for pelagic birding in the Americas, with access to several species that can’t be seen easily anywhere else. Keeping pelagic trips going here is important both for birders and for gathering data on the seasonal distribution and abundance of numerous species, some of which are globally threatened.

Hadoram Shirihai, photographer and author of various books such as Whales, Dolphins and other Marina Mammals of the World and The complete guide to Antartic Wildlife says:

Lima is a unique seabird pelagic hotspot for me. The pelagic off Lima with Kolibri Expeditions is one of the best that I tested for the work towards the Handbook of the Tubenoses of the World project, and I call to anyone to support Gunnar to continue the good work he has been doing for years.

Also Peter Harrison, pelagic Guru, who will be in Lima on August 9 for either a short pelagic or hopefully a full day pelagic with one of the ships of IMARPE – the Peruvian Sea Institute, which we hope to hire for the day, is supportive of our project:

The continuation of pelagic voyages from Lima is critically important to further our knowledge of seabird biology and distribution along this important avian flyway. I would also add that although I have not been with Gunnar in person, his reputation is well known and he has added much to our knowledge and provided great service for passing ornithologists and birdwatchers over the years. It is perhaps significant that when the author of Seabirds of the World: An Identification Guide wanted a pelagic trip from Lima, Kolibri Expeditions and Gunnar Engblom was the outfitter he contacted.

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, you have the possibility to be able to go on our pelagic birding trips for the rest of your life for free. We are investing in our own boat. You can help us by becoming a member in:

Kolibri Expeditions VIP Club

Your contribution is:

500 US$

Seems like a lot of money? By taking a few trips with us in Peru and elsewhere in South America, as Kolibri VIP you will regain you investment through a series of benefits. You don’t loose, we don’t have to borrow money and a permanent resource for nature lovers is created and puts Peru on the pelagic map. Here are the benefits:

One free space on a Lima pelagic once we have the boat that you can book on very short notice. You decide the date and we’ll run the pelagic – Value $175 to $1000 depending on the number of people taking part in the end.
One free space on a Lima pelagic/whalewatching trip any day of the year, booked with minimum 9 months in advance. Value $175 to $1000 depending on the number of people taking part in the end.
Perpetually free 1 day pelagic/whalewatching on standby basis – this also applies if we arrange pelagic away from Lima. Value $175 each time.
Perpetually 10% discount on all our tours – discounting the airfares and train tickets. It will not only apply on Peru tours, but also on our international tours. On a two week tour this discount amounts to between $200-300
We mostly do birdwatching tours, but we are also arranging standard nature tours and cultural tours. Our activity is expanding also outside of Peru.
Perpetually free Lima day trips as long as there are 2 other paying clients. Value around $150 per trip.

Read more about the background to this offer on this previous blogpost. It also relates to our environmental, conservation and social commitment. The Special offer has been up for a while on my blog, but since this specific post directed to pelagic birders was published only today, the offer is extended to December 31, 2011.

Write me to sign up for the program or to ask questions how this can benefit you.

And don’t forget to let me know in the comments below which are your favorite seabirds off Lima? Do you coincide with me?

Top Photo: Waved Albatross. Photo: Gunnar Engblom

by Gunnar Engblom September 10, 2010 0

Pelagics in Lima

Swallow-tailed Gull. Creagrus furcatus. Photo: Gunnar Engblom.

We have had some great pelagics in Lima the last couple of months. I shall soon list the highlights, but before that I would like to talk a bit about our current pelagic strategy. Up till now we have used comfortable, but teadiously slow boats, doing a mere 7-8 knots, and taking up to 5 hours to reach the continental shelf. We have also used open speed boats in past for smaller groups, but the lack of a toilet and old engines, made this solution less desirable. However, since August we have operated with a larger speedboat with permit for 30 people seated, with small groups up to 12 passengers. It has a toilet and 2 brand new 100hp engines – and it cruise at 12- 16knots. There is a risk of getting sprayed if there is a lot of wind, but thus far on the two trips on August 9 and today September 9 – this has not been a problem.

In reality, the risk of getting wet does not deter birders in other famous pelagic hotspots around the world such as North Carolina and Cape Town. The Pacific in Peru is relatively calm (sic), there are rarely such conditions that we have to cancel the trip. The important part is to be prepared. Rain Poncho and protection for the camera are necessary precautions.

If the group size is larger than 12, we shall use the large Catamaran with permit to take 90 passengers. We limit it the groups to around 30 passengers. The Catamaran is slow, but for the upcoming Oct 2 pelagic there we shall do an earlier start at 5 AM and also go on until dusk, to allow slightly longer time at deep water.

Winter in Lima = Cold water

We have had a fantastic winter in Lima. Colder than usual. Some say it is la Niña, which is the opposite of El Niño bring cold and damp weather to Lima. The temperature of the sea has been lower than usual, and this brings good cold water loving species. The cold water is full of nutrients and oxygene, which is the backbone of plankton production and in ende higher up through the foodchain eventually feeds the millions of seabirds in the Humboldt current. Exploding life!

Here are some of the highlights seen this winter. Click on the thumbnail to see the larger photo. Pass the cursor over the photo to see the name. First I have added the photo’s from the September 9, trip, but I shall add photos from the other departures during the week. Enjoy – and come back later.

: Swallow-tailed Gull. Creagrus furcatus. Photo: Gunnar Engblom.

by Gunnar Engblom November 30, 2009 1

Some ID nuts to crack from Nov 18

We did a short trip on the ocean on Nov 18, although the plan was to make a full day pelagic there was no suitable boat available. This was the same trip as the swim-with-the-sea-lions post the other day.
The day was not totally at loss, as there were good photo-opportunities and a few identification challenges.

Skua

As we were approaching the port again after the Palomino trip, I spot a distant Skua. Unfortunately, there were not more photos than these poor ones.

The pictures are very poor. First when looking at the pics, I thought I could see some reddish tone on the belly which suggested Chilean Skua. However, there are several details that support South Polar Skua which I ultimately think this bird is:

The pale contrasting neck patch
The seemingly longish bill
The general blackish coloration
The black under wing coverts

Comments anyone?

UPDATE:

Alvaro Jaramillo kindly discussed the ID on the Birding Peru list.

I agree that the skua photos are marginal. Still, this looks much more like a worn and messed up young Chilean Skua than a South Polar. Isn’t it molting outer primaries? Did you notice this in the field?

Gunnar:

As for the Skua, I saw Ryan Shaw’s pic on the Facebook group – pelagics of a molting South Polas Skua
Her is the FB link.

and I thought it was contemporary with my pic i.e. taken in November.

However, it was from July. Yes, my bird is missing an inner primary at least on the right wing. Do Chilean and South Polar Skua vary that much in molt-time? If so, I should pay some more attention on this.

What about the very pale neck. Can Chilean also have this?

Alvaro:

Its not a rule, but a good “rule of thumb” to think that birds which have no or short migrations will have different molt timing than those which have long or amazingly long migrations. South Polar Skua falls into the amazingly long migration category, Chilean into the short migration category, or moderate at the most. So molt timing should differ in these two species, and it is well known to be in the May – August time frame for South Polar when they are in the northern hemisphere; not clearly known in Chilean yet. Timing also varies depending on age, with younger age classes molting earlier than adults. Having said this, retention of juvenile feathers for a long time (sometimes over a year) in the first cycle of many large birds (various seabirds for example) can also cause some weird patterns when you see them in terribly worn states. As well, often feather bases are a different color than feather tips, and the fading process itself can lead to odd patterns showing up. So it is complex, and the way to go about figuring all of this out is to photograph everything, and determine when molt periods are, and if birds you are seeing fall into more than one group of molt periods (= different age classes). But when you have a terribly worn and then molting individual, especially of a dark species like a Skua, all sorts of weird patterns can show up. For example, it is common for Westland Petrels off Chile in November (when they are worn and in molt) to show nearly white panels on the upperwings. These are incredibly worn and faded coverts which have not yet been replaced; probably a first cycle bird retaining juvenile feathers. The pattern is as bright and obvious as that of a Pintado Petrel! It is weird when you see it the first time, but after seeing it over and over again, and noticing that it only shows up only on Westland Petrels in November; I have found it to be an easy way to identify some Westlands from a long way away. Weird patterns are sometimes predictable and usable, but you need to determine their pattern of occurrence. I think that all of the weird and messy skuas you have shown us over the years have been Chileans, yet the 1 or 2 photos of good South Polars from Peru are relatively clean looking (or am I remembering this wrong?). From this perspective it may be safe to use the worn and messed up look to actually identify these birds as Chilean!!

Continuing in this train of thought – Is that really a pale neck? Or is it a patch of retained worn juvenile feathers contrasting with newly molted crown/face feathers? In other words, a feature such as a pale neck in the context of a worn and messy looking skua is not all that useful. Similarly near lack of cinnamon feathering on the underparts is also something that is common on worn Chilean Skuas, although with a close look you will see some feathering with warm coloration somewhere.

Terns

Terns always represent a challange to ID.

The immature bird is a South American Tern. It has retained some juvenile barred tertial feathers. Barred tertials are a good field mark to ID young South American Terns. Also note the stout bill.

What about the Tern to the right in the first photo?

I must say this one confuses me. A couple of years ago, Dan Lane sent this photo with 3 different winter plumage terns to the Birding Peru yahoo group, arguing that South American Tern has they eye surrounded by black and that Common and Arctic Tern has “head-phones”.
My bird has both characters – eye surrounded by black and headphones. I am guessing the bird is nevertheless Common Tern, because it is November and South American Tern should still be in breeding plumage and at least have a red bill.
Again comments are appreciated.

UPDATE:

Again I got excellent input from Alvaro Jaramillo on the Birding Peru list.

The non-South American Tern in your photos is a Common Tern. It has the classic headphones pattern, and very narrow mask around the eye. Also look at the dark marginal and lesser coverts, something that all Commons get early in the winter and often is strikingly darker than the rest of the wing. South Americans only have dark here as immatures, and it is not so dark and contrasting. I don’t recall the details, but I think some South American Terns breed in Peru, or at least used to, in winter? They may do so in northern Chile as well, but there is no proof yet. However, in terms of molt timing and appearance it is clear that there are two populations of this tern. One is a far southern summer breeder, with a classic Austral molt timing. However from Santiago, Chile on northwards there are lots of adult South American Terns which are in basic (non-breeding) plumage between November- Feb; suggesting they are breeding in winter somewhere, presumably to the north. So molt timing may not be all that useful in identifying this species, contrary to what I though and wrote in Birds of Chile.

Thanks Alvaro for the great comments. I learnt a lot! You rock!

by Gunnar Engblom October 27, 2009 2

Want to discover some extinct seabirds?

The recently rediscovered Beck's Petrel, in the Bismarcks, PNG. Photo: Hadoram Shirihai © Copyright, Tubenoses Project

Readers of this blog may remember an interview with Tony Pym and Hadoram Shirihai regarding the first photographs of Fiji Petrel. Hadoram is aiming high with the tubenose project and the forthcoming book, that yet more lost seabirds shall be found. And what is more, you can join him.

Background:

The following challenging pelagic expeditions are being organised as part of the on-going Tubenoses Project (Shirihai, H. & Bretagnolle, V. In prep. Illus. by Cox J. Albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters of the world: a handbook to their taxonomy, identification, ecology and conservation, A & C Black, London), and represent an effort to collect further data on the identification, variation, distribution and population sizes of some of the least known petrels on the planet.

The expeditions listed below are non-commercial pelagic voyages with all participants, including the organisers, equally sharing the costs of chartering the vessels. The expeditions will be conducted in a similar manner to recent voyages that led to the rediscovery of Beck’s Petrel Pterodroma becki in 2007 in the Bismarck archipelago (Shirihai 2008), and the first pelagic observations of Zino’s Petrel Pterodroma madeira in April 2009, off Madeira (Shirihai 2009), and Fiji Petrel Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi, off Gau Island, Fiji (Shirihai et al. 2009).

The first photographically documented and confirmed at-sea record of the Fiji Petrel, off Gau, Fiji. Photo: Hadoram Shirihai © Copyright, Tubenoses Project

Up-coming expeditions (2009):

(1) Search for the Jamaican Petrel (presumed extinct) off Jamaica:

This voyage will run from 17th November to 1st December 2009, using a fast ocean-going boat. Depending on the weather conditions, we will spend 7 to 10 days at sea off Jamaica.

The Jamaican Petrel had been described to science, when it promptly disappeared; its last confirmed record was in 1891, almost two decades after mongooses were believed introduced onto the main island of Jamaica. Hopes remain that a tiny population of Jamaican Petrels still survive in the extensive tracts of suitable forest habitat. Moreover, mongooses have not prevented Black-capped Petrels from breeding in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Several attempts have been made over the last decades to find the Jamaican Petrel on land, specifically in the Blue Mountains, without success. None of these expeditions have searched at sea, a proven strategy as described above.

In preparation for this expedition, HS visited Jamaica (March-April 2009) to see habitats that might support a population of breeding petrels, and also viewed the breeding habitat of Black-capped Petrels in the Dominican Republic. HS and Vincent Bretagnolle have made a geographical survey (using satellite image maps and marine charts) and have analysed meteorological data for the region; parameters that contributed to the successful studies of Beck’s, Zino’s and Fiji Petrels at sea. From this analysis, a very specific oceanic corridor has been proposed that might be used by any Jamaican Petrels travelling to and from the island.

The plan is to intensively search this area and to use 1.5 tons of chum that will be prepared by our ground team and a local fish factory. The material will be kept aboard ship in dedicated freezers.

For logistical reasons, there is room for only 4 expedition members and currently there is only one spot available; the expedition share is US$7000.

Please contact HS at albatross_shirihai@hotmail.com to sign on, or for further information about the voyage, its plans and conditions.

(2) Search for the recently rediscovered Vanuatu Petrel in the remote Banks Group:

This two-week voyage, 13th to the 28th December 2009, will use a 72ft. expedition research vessel sailing out of the port of Santo, Vanuatu.

The Vanuatu Petrel Pterodroma occulta was collected in January 1927, by Rollo Beck (Whitney South Sea Expedition), though it was overlooked as a White-necked Petrel P. cervicalisuntil Imber and Tennyson (2001) drew attention to the fact that the specimens were distinctly smaller and represented an unrecognised species. Since then an additional specimen was found ashore in eastern Australia in 1983. The first at-sea record was of a bird observed by HS in January 2006 between New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Then in 2007, two/three birds were sighted off southern Vanuatu. There is recent evidence (still unpublished) that suggests a breeding population on at least one island in Vanuatu.

In December 2009 we shall try to obtain further data on this population, both at sea and on several islands in the remote Banks group. Dr. Vincent Bretagnolle, Dr. Orian Shirihai and HS are the organisers of this expedition. Besides studying petrels and other seabirds, the expedition will seek out some of the landbirds of the islands and also study tribal customs of the indigenous islanders, including the use of alternative medicines.

Only 7 expedition members can be accommodated on the vessel, the remaining space will be occupied by a set of huge freezers that will store two tons of chum for use during the planned mass chumming operations.

To date there are 5 on board, and two more are welcome, at US$7000 per person. This rate will be discounted for students and those from conservation bodies to US$5000 per person.

Please contact directly HS at albatross_shirihai@hotmail.com to sign up, or for further information about the voyage plans and conditions.

Expeditions planned for 2010 & 2011:

Further information on the following will be posted nearer the times:

2010:

The first photographically documented at-sea record of the Zino's Petrel, off Madeira, Portugal. Photo: Hadoram Shirihai © Copyright, Tubenoses Project

Off Madeira: To study Zino’s Petrel at sea, 20th-30th June (with Hadoram Shirihai & Tony Pym, and the organisation of Madeira Wind Birds).

Guadalupe Islands, Mexico: In search of the (believed extinct) Guadalupe Storm Petrel, March 2010 or 2011, with Hadoram Shirihai.

2011-12:

Chatham Islands: In search of the Magenta Pterodroma magentaeand Chatham Island Petrel P. axillaris (tentatively scheduled for Dec), and most of the local land-bird endemics. With Tony Pym & Hadoram Shirihai. For further information please contact Tony (tony_pym@hotmail.com).

Juan Fernández archipelago, Chile: For the three endemic eastern tropical Pacific Pterodroma (during Nov-Dec), namely Juan Fernandez Petrel Pterodroma externa, Stejneger’s Petrel Pterodroma longirostris and Defilippi’s Petrel Pterodroma defilippiana; with the organisation and co-leadership of Ross Wanless (and Hadoram Shirihai for the work on petrels at sea). We will also endeavour to see the landbird endemics. For further information please contact Ross (rosswanless@gmail.com).

Eastern Tropical Pacific off Peru: To study storm petrels (tentatively Jan 2011), with Hadoram Shirihai, and with the organisation of Gunnar Engblom (Kolibri Expeditions). For further information please contact Gunnar (kolibriexp@gmail.com).

Off Reunion, Indian Ocean: Seeking field knowledge on the poorly known Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrimawith Tony Pym and Hadoram Shirihai (expedition dates to be announced).

Regular updates on these expeditions will be posted on Seabird-News (Angus Wilson and/or Tony Pym), Facebook group Pelagics – Seabirds Worldwide and on this Gunnar Engblom’s (Kolibri Expeditions) blog.

REFERENCES:

Brooke, M. 2004. Albatrosses and petrels across the world. Oxford Univ. Press.

Imber, M. J. and Tennyson, A. J. D. 2001. A new petrel species (Procellariidae) from the south-west Pacific. Emu 101, 123–127.

Shirihai, H. Rediscovery of Beck’s Petrel Pseudobulweria becki, and other observations of tubenoses from the Bismarck archipelago, Papua New Guinea. Bull. B.O.C. 2008 128(1).

Shirihai, H. 2009. The Zino’s Petrel at sea expedition II – and the best pelagic birding in the Western Palearctic. Birding World 22: 204-218.

Shirihai, H., Pym, T., Kretzschmar, J., Moce K., Taukei, A. & Watling D. First observations of Fiji Petrel Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi at sea: off Gau Island, Fiji, in May 2009. Bull. B.O.C. 2009. 3: 129-148.

20 best birds of Lima pelagics, part 1

Pelagic birdwatching in Peru

The 20 best birds of Lima Pelagics – top 10.

1.Ringed Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma hornbyi

2 Markham’s Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma markhami