61 2 SHORT COMMUNICATIObiiS IBIS 102

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS

NOTES FROM THE SOUTH ORKNEYS AND SOUTH GEORGIA

Zkiyptes crestatus. Rockhopper Penguin. On 2 February 1957, whilst working on hIoe Island, South Orkneys, 60" 45' S., 45" 42' W. a field party from the nearby F.I.D.S. base on Sign! Island found a strange penguin in company with several Eudyptes rhrycolo- phus. Drawings and notes made on the spot by IIr . A. B. Hall enabled the bird to bc identified as a Rockhopper when the party returned to base. A few weeks later, on 26 February 1957, a Rockhopper Penguin was again found, this time amongst a group of moulting Chinstrap Penguins PJyoscelis antarctica on the northwest coast of Signy Island about four miles from !VIoe Island. It is possible that this was the same Kock- hopper seen previously by the field party. On this occasion colour photographs were obtaincd which are now deposited at the Falkland Islands Depcndcncies Scientific Br.reau.

The records appear to be the first authentic ones for the species south of the Antarctic Convergence in West Antarctica and to extend the range southwards. Owing to confusion in the identification of Macaroni and Rockhopper Pcnguins amongst the records of early collectors i n the Southern oceans, Illurphy (1986) concluded that Rockhopper records for South Georgia and West Antarctica wcre erroneous.

Halobnenn caerirlea. Blue Petrel. Parhypplilu belcheri. Slender-billed Prion. The Blue Petrel is commonly seen in

company with Pachypiila spp. in the South Atlantic and together with the Slender-billed Prion it is known to breed at the Falkland Islands. In December 1958 at Bird Island, South Georgia, S4" 00' S., 38" 03' W., remains of two Blue Petrels and one Slender- billed Prim were found amongst those of the Dove Prion Puchyptih desohtn about the nests of the Brown Skua Catharacta skua hnbergi . In spite of extensive searching amongst hundreds of remains all over the island only thc three specimens wcre found. At South Georgia the Blue Petrel had only previously been recorded flying over inshore waters.

'I'he three specimens hake been examined at the American hluscum of Katural History by Dr. H. C . XIurphy who confirmed the identification and mentioned in litt. that the P. belcheri was identical with specimens from thc Falkland Islands. Skuas take the Dove Prions at night when they are entering or leaving their burrows and it may be assumed that both the Blue Petrels and the Slender-billed Prion were taken in the same manner; i.e. they were ashore when killed and not hrought to land by the Skuas after being taken in flight over the sea. If the Skua predation is random the species mentioned must be present on Bird Island in much smaller numbers than the Dove Prions, certainly less than 1 in 1000. 'I'here was nothing to suggest that either species was breeding on Bird Island; hut their presence nevertheless is interesting and may be an indication of the degree to which the flocks of Puchyptila spp. seen in the southern oceans are homo- genous. It is postulatcd (Murphy 1936, Falla 1940, Fleming 1941) that the different species of Pachyptila are strictly zonal in their pelagic distribution ; but evidently indi- viduals of one species, perhaps immatures, when separated from their own flocks do attach themselves to flocks of allied species even to the extent of visiting " foreign " breeding stations.

This species is common at South Georgia especially about the whaling stations and the sealing vessels during the summer. They were apparently just as numerous before whaling started at the beginning of the century and, although no nests had been found, Murphy (1936) predicted that the species probably

Duption capensis. Cape Pigeon.

1960 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 613

bred at the southeastern end of South Georgia. Later Rankin (1951) mentioned seeing Cape Pigeons on cliff ledges and suggested breeding.

At Elsehul during November 1958 a number of birds were seen on cliff ledges at Start Point. There was a good deal of aggressive calling and other indications that the birds were holding territories, but there were no eggs. About two miles away on Bird Island however, nests were discovered in the 1957/58 season by Mr. W. N. Bonner and Mr. C. Stroghair during a visit to the island in connection with work on the Southern Fur Seal Arciocephalus gazella. A colony of eleven nests below Tonk Hill was visited on 11 January 1959 and eggs were found to be in the process of hatching. A few more were discovered along the coast of Bird Sound but the population of the island cannot number more than about 50 pairs. At South Georgia the species is evidently at the edge of its breeding range, for, whilst its pelagic distribution around South Georgia is apparently as dense as elsewhere in the Antarctic zone, the breeding population is negligible compared with that of the South Orkneys and South Shetlands.

Calidris fuscicollis. White-rumped Sandpiper. At Undine Harbour, South Georgia on 9-10 November 1958 a small wader was so identified. The bird was not caught but photographs were taken at short range; these together with the field notes have been examined at the British Museum of Natural History by M r . D. Goodwin who confirmed the identification.

The species is fairly common in the Falkland Islands 700 miles to the west and in view of the prevailing westerlies in these latitudes the appearance of drifted individuals is not surprising. The absence of previous records probably reflects the absence more of observers than of birds; but South American species have in fact been seen within the Falkland Islands Dependencies. As long ago as 1892 C. A. Larsen (Aagaad 1930) reported " wild ducks " at Laurie Island in the South Orkneys and at least two species of South American duck and a Korth American sandpiper are known from Deception Island, South Shetlands (Murphy 1936). One of these, Oxyurn vittata appeared during the summer of 1916/17 in considerable numbers following a drought in South America. More recently unidentified " visitors " were observed as far south as Marguerite Bay near the F.I.D.S. base on Stonington Island 68" 11' S., 67" 00' W. (Freeman 1947) and an unidentified wader was seen at Signy Island, South Orkneys during November 1954 (Tickell, unpublished).

Contrary to Roberts (1940) and Murphy (1936) recent experience at Signy Island, South Orkneys, 60" 43' S., 45" 36' W., and on Bird Island, South Georgia, 54" 00' S., 30" 02' W., indicate that Wilson's Petrels Oceaniies oceunicus and also the Black-bellied Storm Petrel Frgetta tropicn are common prey of the skuas, in these islands at least.

Disgorged remains of the above petrels consisting of legs, wings and bones were found scattered about the skua nests and territories. Also, although, it is unusual, my companions at the F.I.D.S. base on Signy Island twice reported skuas taking them in flight over the shore and nesting grounds. Wilson's Petrels in the South Orkneys commonly flew in over the colony and entered their nest holes during the daytime but the majority carried out nest relief from dusk onwards; the routine was different on Bird Island where the Wilson's Petrels did not approach the colony until dark. In both places the skuas prey chiefly upon other species, notably the Dove Prions Pachyptilu desolata, Diving Petrels Pelecanoides spp., the penguins of Pygoscelis spp. and Eudyptes chrysolophus; but in spite of the abundance of such prey the smaller petrels are still taken.

Catharacia skun Ionnbergi. Brown Skua.

REFERENCES

AAGAAD, 1930 in H O I , G E ~ X , I { . 1945. Antarctic and Suh-antarctlc I3irds. Sci. Hes. Norwegian Antarctic Expd. 1927-28 et seq. No. 23 Oslo.

614 SHORT COMMCNI('AT1ONS 1131s 102

PALLA, I<. A. 1940. FLEMING, C. A. 1941. F H F F ~ I A N , R . I,. 1947. Mrwiiy, R . C. 1936. ROHI.H.I~ , B. B. 1940.

7 he genus Pachypprila. Emu 40 : 218-236. The phylogeny of the prions. L.npublished report F.I.D.S. E.147,.)7. Oceanic Birds of South America. Life cycle of the Wilson's Petrel.

Emu 41 : 134-155.

Atner. RIus. Nat. Hist. S e w York. Brit. Graham Ld. Exped. 1934-37 Sci.

Rep. l ( 2 ) : 141-194.

0 March 1960.

ABNORMAL SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR OF A HAWFINCH COCCOTHRA USTES COCCOTHRA USTES

False recognition of the species has been reported in a few nidicolous birds, namely, Jackdaws (1,orenz 1935); Budgerigars (Nice 1938); Doves and a Magpie (Goodwin 1948); and Bullfinches (Kicolai 1956). Similar behaviour has now been observed in B female Hawfinch Coccothrausies coccothraustes.

T h i s bird was taken from its nest when about five days old and hand reared with other nestlings by members of the staff of the Field Station for the Study of Animal Behaviour, Cambridge, not including myself, for six weeks during the spring of 195.3. In the summer of that year, she was put in an outside aviary with a hand-reared male, her brother, which died in 1955. T h e birds showed prolonged courtship behaviour, but no successful breeding took place. From December 1956 the female Hawfinch was kept in an inside cage. At all times, one and normally two, other birds were caged in the same room; during the spring months these were a Lazuli Bunting Passerina amoena and a Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella. Initially, the Hawfinch showed considerable fear at my approach, flying against the bars of the cage. I,ater, she would assume a crouched position on a perch. with her body held horizontally, the contour feathers, wings and tail sleeked and the head pulled down between the shoulders. Gradually she became less frightened, and raised and moved her head to follow my movements round the room.

In l l a y , this display mas at its most complex and similar to the " spread-wing dance " which Hinde (1055) described from this individual. l ' h e body was held almost upright and pivoted from side to side, with the feathers rather fluffed and those on the head raised. T h e tail was flattened and spread, and the wings held out from the body and quivered. T h e degree of wing spread varied from a position in which they were slightly out, to one in which the leading edge was at right angles to the body. As I stood in front of the cage, the bird danced from side to side along the perch level with my eyes, displaying with spread wings for about five seconds, making a curious braying call. One particular sharp call note always greeted me, even when I was seen at some distance through the window of the room. As I left, the notes became loud and rapid and she would fly to that side of the cage nearest the door. In September, by which time she was still recogniz- ing me by calling, though not by displaying, she was again put in an outside aviary. In January 1958, having seen me only infrequently in the intervening 3 months, the bird u a s caged inside. I n that spring 1 was able to follow the development of her display more fully.

At first, a s I stood by the cage, she assumed the crouching position, but on 7 April 1958, she flew to me and sat upright on the perch with head feathers raised and body fluffed. Her beak was horizontal and slightly open, she yawned about four times, and the black bib on her chin moved as if she might sing. T h e legs were a little bent and the

In late March she started to call and display feebly to me and to me only.