Birds Australia Rarities Committee

Unusual Record Report Form

This form is intended to aid observers in the preparation of a submission for a major rarity in Australia. (It is not a

mandatory requirement) Please complete all sections ensuring that you attach all relevant information including copies

of your notes, photographs or other supportive material. (PLEASE USE BLACK INK).

Full Name: Nikolas K. Haass & Lindsay Smith

Office Use

Address: Phone No: 98 William Street Home: 02-95726392; mobile 0424603579

Leichhardt Fax/Email: NSW 2040, Australia nhaass@yahoo.com

Species Name:

Cook’s Petrel

Scientific Name:

Pterodroma cookii

Date(s) and time(s) of observation: 26/03/2009 (found) to 25/04/2009 (released, 11:30am)

How long did you watch the bird(s)? n/a

First and last date of occurrence: 26/03/2009 (found) to 25/04/2009 (released)

Distance to bird: in hand

Site Location

This bird was found at Circular Quay, Sydney NSW, and taken into care at the Taronga Wildlife Hospital on 26 March

2009. After four weeks in rehabilitation, the bird was released at sea, beyond the continental shelf, off Wollongong on 25

April 2009. This was the first ever live specimen recovered on the Australian mainland (SMITH & WHYLIE 2009).

Habitat: released at sea, beyond the continental shelf, off Wollongong

Sighting conditions (weather, visibility, light conditions etc.):

Sea conditions: E 1.0 to 2.0m. Swell: E to 1.0 to 1.5m With large ground swell 3-4meters inshore. Weather: overcast in

morning clearing later in the day. Temperature range: 16 to 23.0°C. Barometric pressure: 1006 HPa falling. Wind: North

westerly 15 knots at first increasing to 15 to 18 knots by mid morning and 30 knots in the afternoon. Sea surface

temperature: 23.0 to 23.6°C. Primary chumming location: 34° 30'S : 151° 16'E

Optical aids used: Leica 12x50 BA to follow the bird after its release

To your knowledge, is the species seen frequently at this site? Cook’s Petrel remains a very rare bird in Australia. NH’s previous accepted record was only the 3rd acceptable live

record: Submission No 559 Cook’s Petrel Pterodroma cookii, off Wollongong, NSW. 24 November 2007

(Unpublished). Submitted by: NIKOLAS. K. HAASS.

Did you use a field guide? (or any other references for help with identification).

ENTICOTT, J. & D. TIPLING (1997): Seabirds of the World. London. • HARRISON, P. (1983): Seabirds, an identification

guide. Beckenham • HARRISON, P. (1987): Seabirds of the World. A Photographic Guide. London. • HOWELL, S.N.G., S.

WEBB & L.B. SPEAR (1996): Identification at sea of Cook’s, De Filippi’s, and Pycroft’s Petrels. Western Birds 27: 57-

64. • DEL HOYO, J., A. ELLIOTT & J. SARGATAL (1992): Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 1. - Barcelona. •

MARCHANT, S. & P.J. HIGGINS (eds) (1990). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 1:

Ratites to Ducks. Melbourne. • ONLEY, D. & P. SCOFIELD (2007): Albatrosses, Petrels & Shearwaters of the World.

Princeton. • PIZZEY, G. & F. KNIGHT (2007, 8th

ed.): The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Sydney. • SHIRIHAI, H.

(2007, 2nd

ed.): A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. London. • SIMPSON, K. & N. DAY (2004, 7th

ed.): Birds of

Australia. Princeton. • SIMPSON, K. & N. DAY (2004, 7th ed.): Birds of Australia. Princeton. • SMITH, L & B. WHYLIE

(2009): Cook’s Petrels in Sydney Harbour. The Albatross 43: 1 http://www.sossa-

international.org/Pages/Newsletters/Issue%2043%20Jun2009%20SOSSA%20newsletter%2B%20Pelagic%20Report.pdf

Were other observers present Do any of the other observers disagree with your identification, if so,

who?

Brook Whylie, Darryl McKay, Raja Stephenson, Rob Hynson and others

How confident are you of your identification?, e.g. 70%, 100%. If not 100%, why not? 100%

Other details: Cook’s Petrel remains a very rare bird in Australia. NH’s previous accepted record was only the 3

rd acceptable live

record: Submission No 559 Cook’s Petrel Pterodroma cookii, off Wollongong, NSW. 24 November 2007

(Unpublished). Submitted by: NIKOLAS. K. HAASS.

In the meantime a 4th

one was accepted by BARC: Submission No: 617 Cook’s Petrel Pterodroma cookii, Grafton,

NSW. 22nd October 2009 Submitted by: GREG CLANCY.

Another one was seen off Ulladulla, 19 October 2009. The report including photographic documentation will be

submitted to BARC/NSW ORAC imminently.

Physical Description

(1) Number: one individual

(2) Age, sex: unknown

(3) Size and shape: small Gadfly-petrel Pterodroma (“Cookilaria”) relatively long slender bill

(4) Plumage colour and pattern: forehead white; white supercilium; crown mottled pale and dark grey; nape and

upperparts pale grey; upperwings dark grey; blackish “M”-band across upperwings and back, narrowest at the sides of

the rump; tail grey, tipped dark grey, outer rectrices pale grey; underparts white and underwings white with fine black

margins and tips; heavier margin on leading edge angles across innerwing toward body in tapering black curve (“tick

mark”)

(5) Colour of bill, eyes and legs/feet: black

(6) Calls: none heard

(7) Behaviour, movements, flight pattern, and anything else that might help to identify the bird e.g. feeding,

interactions with other birds, describe where the bird was – on ground, in canopy, flying etc. Were comparisons

made with other species?

Flight fast and straight away from the boat after release; there were no direct interactions with other birds.

Measurements by Lindsay Smith:

Bill: 26.60 mm (cf. male Cook’s 25.9-29, female Cook’s 24.4-29.9; male Pycroft’s 24.2-25, female Pycroft’s 23.6-25.5;

Stejneger’s 22.8-25.8; MARCHANT & HIGGINS 1990)

Bill base: 10.40, Bill minimum: 6.70 mm, Unguis (Bill tip): 7.78 mm

Mid Toe (excluding claw); 34.25 mm (I believe that the measurements in MARCHANT & HIGGINS 1990 include the

claw)

Tarsus: 30.60 mm (cf. male Cook’s 30.9-31.5, female Cook’s 27.9-32.8; male Pycroft’s 27.5-30.2, female Pycroft’s 27-

30.4; Stejneger’s 26.3-30.1; MARCHANT & HIGGINS 1990)

Wing: 240 mm (cf. male Cook’s 230-245, female Cook’s 223-236; male Pycroft’s 209-217, female Pycroft’s 214-226;

Stejneger’s 198-220; MARCHANT & HIGGINS 1990)

ABBBS Band No 06259801

Figure 1: Lindsay Smith with Cook’s Petrel off Wollongong, NSW, 25 April 2009. Note head and underwing pattern.

(Photo: Nikolas Haass)

Figure 2: Lindsay Smith with Cook’s Petrel off Wollongong, NSW, 25 April 2009. Note head pattern and bill size.

(Photo: Brook Whylie)

Figure 3: Lindsay Smith with Cook’s Petrel off Wollongong, NSW, 25 April 2009. Note upperwing pattern. (Photo: Raja

Stephenson)

Figure 4: Lindsay Smith with Cook’s Petrel off Wollongong, NSW, 25 April 2009. Note coloration of outer rectrices.

(Photo: Raja Stephenson)

Figure 5: Lindsay Smith with Cook’s Petrel off Wollongong, NSW, 25 April 2009. Bill measurement: 26.60 mm (Note:

the caliper reads 26.65 at the time the photo was taken, this was not the final result) (Photo: Nikolas Haass)

Figure 6: Lindsay Smith with Cook’s Petrel off Wollongong, NSW, 25 April 2009. Toe measurement: 34.25 mm (Note:

this measurement excludes the claw) (Photo: Nikolas Haass)

Figure 7: Lindsay Smith with Cook’s Petrel off Wollongong, NSW, 25 April 2009. Wing measurement: 240 mm (Photo:

Nikolas Haass)

Figure 8: Lindsay Smith with Cook’s Petrel off Wollongong, NSW, 25 April 2009. Note underwing pattern. (Photo:

Nikolas Haass)

Other species with which you think it might be confused and how these were eliminated? Other Cookilaria petrels:

Pycroft’s’s Petrel P. pycrofti: shorter bill, tarsus and wing; longer tail; darkish partial collar; shorter supercilium

De Filippi’s Petrel P. defilippiana: lack of dark tip to tail in 94% (however, 6% are reported to show dark tip (Howell et

al. 1996); bolder underwing pattern; darkish partial collar

Stejneger’s Petrel P. longirostris: shorter bill, tarsus and wing; longer tail; dark crown and dark partial collar

Chatham Islands Petrel P. axillaris: very different underwing pattern, dark axillaries; dark half-collar

Black-winged Petrel P. nigripennis: very different underwing pattern; dark half-collar

Mottled Petrel P. inexpectata: very different underwing and tail patterns; dark belly

Bonin Petrel P. hypoleuca: very different underwing pattern; large dark carpal patch

Gould’s Petrel P. leucoptera: black crown extending onto sides of neck; bolder underwing pattern

Collared Petrel P. brevipes: very different underwing pattern; dark crown and dark partial or full collar

Other grey-and-white Pterodroma petrels:

White-necked Petrel P. cervicalis: larger, different flight style; white collar + dark half-collar

Vanuatu Petrel P. occulta: larger, different flight style; white collar + dark half-collar

Juan Fernandez Petrel P. externa: larger, different flight style; finer underwing pattern

Barau’s Petrel P. baraui: larger, different flight style; bolder underwing pattern, dark half-collar

All other Pterodroma spec. are ruled out by above description.

Blue Petrel Halobaena caerulea and Prions Pachyptila: smaller, different flight style; different underwing pattern

Was the description written from notes and/or sketches made (tick box):

� during the observation or; x shortly after the observation or; � from memory?

Please indicate supportive evidence available. Was the bird: x photographed, � taped or � video taped? If yes to any of these, by whom?

Photos by Nikolas Haass (Figs. 1, 5-8), Brook Whylie (Fig. 2) and Raja Stephenson (Figs. 3-4).

What experience have you had with the species in question?

NH has extensive experience with petrels having been pelagic trip leader on many trips off of California, New

Jersey/New York and Delaware/Maryland and having participated on many pelagic trips off of North Carolina,

Galapagos, New South Wales and Queensland. NH has been an active member in the Rare Birds Committees of Hessen,

Germany, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and New Jersey, USA. Although NH has only seen Cook’s Petrel once before

(NH’s previous accepted record was only the 3rd

acceptable live record: Submission No 559 Cook’s Petrel Pterodroma

cookii, off Wollongong, NSW. 24 November 2007 (Unpublished). Submitted by: NIKOLAS. K. HAASS.), he

spontaneously identified the bird and obviously knew that it was a rare bird in the area.

RS has extensive experience with petrels from many pelagic trips off of New Jersey/New York, Delaware/Maryland,

North Carolina, New South Wales and Queensland. However, this was RS’s first Cook’s Petrel.

RH has extensive experience with petrels from many pelagic trips off of New Jersey/New York, Delaware/Maryland,

North Carolina, New South Wales and Queensland. However, this was RH’s first Cook’s Petrel.

LS and DMcK have extensive experience with petrels as they are professional ornithologists who have spent much of

their life on the Tasman Sea and the Southern Ocean.

BW has extensive experience with petrels from many pelagic trips in the Tasman Sea and the Southern Ocean.

Another one was seen off Ulladulla by NH, RS and RH, 19 October 2009. The report including photographic

documentation will be submitted to BARC imminently.

In the meantime, RS and NH have had the opportunity to observe many Cook’s Petrels at the Hauraki Gulf pelagic,

North Island, New Zealand (December 2010). These birds appeared to be very similar to the one reported here.

Signature:

Sent by e-mail

Date: 8/5/2011

Please forward all material to: The Secretary, Birds Australia Rarities Committee, Birds Australia HQ, Riverside Road, East Hawthorn, VIC 3123