James Lidster
Well-known member
As part of Dutch Birdings live week of lectures Bob Flood will be giving a talk on YouTube this evening about shearwater ID
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Bob Flood shearwater talk live Wednesday 3 feb (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter James Lidster
- Start date
Brian J Small
Well-known member
For those that want to look at an image of one of the Race Point Short-taileds discussed by Bob
Note: this is the ruling from the 22nd report of the MassachusettsAvian Records Committee in NOT accepting them
Short-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna tenuirostris)
2017-063: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 9/23/2017. The committee acknowledges the formidable difficulty of the identification and separation of Sooty and Short-tailed shearwaters. Seemingly all useful traits for separation are variable and either overlapping or very close to overlapping, and these minor differences may converge further depending on head posture, angle, viewing conditions, and more. Many committee members felt that these variations and the moderately distant images made it impossible to judge if the birds definitely represented a Short-tailed Shearwater and ruled out Sooty Shearwater. The committee fully acknowledged the observer's expertise in separating the two species. Some characters mentioned appeared supportive of the identification including a noted apparent distinctive flight pattern that seem to differ from nearby Sootys. The record was not accepted, but all members agreed that further investigation was warranted. The committee agreed to seek out further expert opinions on this and other reports of this species with the intent of voting on this record again.
2017-064: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 9/24/2017.
2017-065: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 10/14/2017.
2017-066: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 8/17/2017.
Brian S
Note: this is the ruling from the 22nd report of the MassachusettsAvian Records Committee in NOT accepting them
Short-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna tenuirostris)
2017-063: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 9/23/2017. The committee acknowledges the formidable difficulty of the identification and separation of Sooty and Short-tailed shearwaters. Seemingly all useful traits for separation are variable and either overlapping or very close to overlapping, and these minor differences may converge further depending on head posture, angle, viewing conditions, and more. Many committee members felt that these variations and the moderately distant images made it impossible to judge if the birds definitely represented a Short-tailed Shearwater and ruled out Sooty Shearwater. The committee fully acknowledged the observer's expertise in separating the two species. Some characters mentioned appeared supportive of the identification including a noted apparent distinctive flight pattern that seem to differ from nearby Sootys. The record was not accepted, but all members agreed that further investigation was warranted. The committee agreed to seek out further expert opinions on this and other reports of this species with the intent of voting on this record again.
2017-064: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 9/24/2017.
2017-065: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 10/14/2017.
2017-066: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 8/17/2017.
Brian S
