Part 59

LEACH'S FORK-TAILED PETREL Oceanodroma leucorrhoa (Vieillot)

This species is a regular but not very numerous visitor to our shores every autumn, its numbers depending largely on the weather, and after heavy gales it is often found inland. It nests in small numbers on St. Kilda and some of the Outer Hebrides, and has also been found nesting off the coast of Kerry; and in time many other breeding stations will probably be found on the islands of our western shores. The single egg is white freckled with rusty spots. In its food and habits it resembles, so far as they are known, those of the Storm Petrel.

The adult is dark leaden black, rather more sooty below; upper tail coverts white; tail sooty black and deeply forked. Length 8 in.; wing 6 in.

MADEIRAN FORK-TAILED PETREL Oceanodroma castro (Harcourt)

An example of this bird was picked up dead in Kent in December 1895.

The home of this species is the islands lying off the west of Africa, viz. Cape Verde, Madeira, Desertas, Salvages, and Canaries, from whence individuals occasionally wander to Europe.

This species very closely resembles Leach's Petrel, but the tail is hardly forked; the upper tail coverts are white tipped with black; and the bases of the tail feathers are white. Length nearly 8 in.; wing 5·9 in.

WILSON'S PETREL Oceanites oceanicus (Kuhl)

This bird is almost cosmopolitan in distribution, but perhaps the South Atlantic is its main home, and it is commoner up the North American coast than on this side. Several examples have been shot in this country. The legs and wings are longer than in the preceding species and the webs of the feet are yellow at their bases. The general colour above and below is sooty brown with white on upper tail coverts and thigh patches, and also at the base of the outer tail feathers. Length 7 in.; wing 6 in.

THE FRIGATE PETREL Pelagodroma marina (Latham)

Of late years two examples of this Petrel have been washed up on our shores. The Salvages are the nearest breeding haunts of this species, but it is also found in the south seas.

The crown, nape, and patch behind the eye are slate grey; upper parts grey; wing coverts brown; quills blackish. Tail black; under parts white tinged with grey on the flanks. Length 7·75 in.; wing 6·25 in.

THE GREAT SHEARWATER Puffinus gravis, O'Reilly

This species is a fairly regular summer visitor to the waters round our coasts, but it does not often approach the land.

Nothing is known of its breeding haunts, which are probably in the Antarctic seas.

The upper parts are ash brown, mottled with white on the upper tail coverts. Under parts white, sometimes brownish on the belly. Legs pinkish. Length 19 in.; wing 12·7 in.

THE SOOTY SHEARWATER Puffinus griseus (J. F. Gmelin)

This species visits us yearly but is much scarcer than the Great Shearwater.

Its only known nesting haunts are in Chatham Islands and others near New Zealand, but the birds which visit us probably nest in the South Atlantic.

The whole of the plumage is brown, rather greyer below and more mottled. Legs blackish outside, lilac grey within. Length 18 in.; wing 12 in.

THE MEDITERRANEAN GREAT SHEARWATER Puffinus kuhli (Boie)

A single specimen of this Atlantic and Mediterranean Shearwater was picked up on the Sussex coast in 1906. It is similar to the Dusky Shearwater but greyer, wings and tail blackish brown, under parts pure white. Length 17·25 in.; wing 12·75 in.

THE MANX SHEARWATER Puffinus anglorum (Temminck)

The Manx Shearwater is the commonest of the Shearwaters that are found round our coasts. It is resident with us throughout the year, feeding chiefly on fish, offal, etc., that it finds on or near the surface.

During the nesting season it retires to secluded parts of the coast, where it lays its single white egg in rabbit-burrows or other crevices. It is not known to breed on the east coast, but down the west from Wales northwards as well as in Ireland it breeds commonly, though from its nocturnal habits the nest is not always easy to find.

It may be distinguished when flying by its rounded wings and its habit of progressing with wings held motionless close over the surface of the water.

The crown, nape, and upper parts are sooty black, under parts white, except for a patch of sooty brown behind the thighs; legs and feet flesh-coloured; outer toes black. Length 15 in.; wing 9·5 in.

THE LITTLE DUSKY SHEARWATER Puffinus assimilis, Gould