Prion ID - Noosa,Australia (1 Viewer)

Just been checking for Prions in Database and came across this photo in the gallery, the photographer is not sure of the ID...can anyone help.

http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=209115

Hi Marmot,

I'll take a stab at this though I'm no expert on prion ID. I have been reviewing their identification criteria for an upcoming New Zealand subantarctic island cruise in November, however. Prions can be really tough. That said, everything is suggestive of it being a Fairy Prion. The upper tail looks extensively dark, more extensive than in most other prions. Also, the face pattern looks relatively muted and the bird lacks much of a collar. Also the bill structure fits a Fairy with a relatively large swollen tip (maxillary unguis) that is in close proximity to the tip of the nostril. The similar Fulmar Prion would be extremely unlikely based on its limited distribution. There is a single record for Tasmania, and it breeds in the Australian Territory of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean.

I also remember discussing prions with a couple of Australian seabirders in late September in Sydney. They mentioned that every year is different for prions in Australian waters, and that this year there had been a lot of Fairies but nothing else. I would guess that that would be especially true as far north as this bird was seen.

Chris

I left a message with a link to this thread. The text under the photo mentioned that he had some flight shots as well, so we can hope the photographer will add one or more additional photos.

Niels

Prion ID

Many thanks for your interest, I found this bird most difficult to ID.
Here are a few more shots including one of the bill.
Kind regards
Richard

Hi Richard,

Those are some amazing shots. I still think that the bird is a Fairy Prion based on the additional images. The face pattern looks confusingly strong in one image, which highlights the difficulties of using some of these field characters. The bill structure looks really good for a Fairy, as does the tail. I'm not sure if you have a copy of Simpson & Day's Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, but the frontispiece has illustrations of various tubenose bills including the prions. I've attached a tiny, low-res image of it to illustrate the differences between the species under consideration. Antarctic Prion is upper left, and Fairy Prion is lower right in the image.

Chris

Thanks Chris,
I think that you are ‘spot on’ there is too much contrast on the face of the second image, I was trying out three different Raw converters at the time and probably over did the contrast on that one. No I do not have Simpson & Day's Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. The illustration you supplied is a great help and very much appreciated, I would say you are correct Fairy Prion it is.
Thanks again
Richard

Agree with Chris about the wonderful photos.

Really pleased that we could help you with this one.