Antarctic ID Please (1 Viewer)

Any ideas on the smaller bird with the dark head?

Andy

Cape Petrel?

Egret said:

Any ideas on the smaller bird with the dark head?

Andy

Click to expand...

Never been further south than Gerona, Spain but I suggest Cape Petrel
(Daption capense)
see: f.e.: http://www.birdinfo.com/A_Images_C/CapePetrel_0003.html

Thanks folks; my friend, who was in the Antarctic for three week over Xmas (lucky **&&**) will be pleased.

Andy

Could also be a Antarctic Petrel (Thalassoica antarctica). To separate from Cape Petrel (Daption capense) you must see the wings from above.

This is a Cape Petrel. The black tail tip in the Antarctic is much narrower from below and it is less plump overall. Likewise, while probably not a certain feature from this distance, the very dark head (versus the brownish head of the Antarctic) indicate Cape. The shape of the dark hood (especially towards the edge of the wing) also reveals the ID. There are a number of differences in the underwing pattern too (in particular in relations to the broadness of the black trailing edge as well as the leading edge of the outer wing), but none visible from the angle presented in this photo. There can be few doubts that the upperwing pattern probably is the easiest to use, but there are, as mentioned earlier in this post, (luckily) numerous other features available. Here's a series of photos of Antarctic:

http://www.warbler.phytoconsult.nl/AO/aarc_petrel.htm