Great Shearwater - 315 km SW of Guinee (1 Viewer)

[Aladdin]

Dear Members and Birdwatchers!

I have ID the bird on the attached pictures as a Great Shearwater.

Surprising for me as it looked smaller than the Cory's and it was flying high, the other shearwaters I have seen have been flying low over the water tipping their wings side to side.

I have three different books I use for this area:
1) Albatrosses, Petrels ans Shearwaters of the world
2) Oceanic birds of the world
3) ID Handbook of European Birds

I would not have managed to ID the bird with the Albatrosses, Petrels ans Shearwaters of the world book.

But the other two was the books pointing me towards Great Shearwater, that was the only bird with the white band around the neck.

But it is very hard with the sea birds

Anyone that have another idea of the ID?

Kind Regards and Happy Birding
Aladdin

 

[njlarsen]

No photo

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Your bird is one of the smaller skuas/ jaegers. I think it's Long-tailed Skua.

 

[Aladdin]

No photo

Thanks, but I attached 6 pictures, maybe some delays, my internet is very bad here now

 

[njlarsen]

Thanks, but I attached 6 pictures, maybe some delays, my internet is very bad here now

Probably, I see them now.

I agree that it is a smaller Jaeger/Skua
Niels

 

[Aladdin]

Your bird is one of the smaller skuas/ jaegers. I think it's Long-tailed Skua.

Thank you!

I just opened my books and I will try to find the bird.

These eBooks are a pain in the .... to navigate

Highly appreciated

Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

Your bird is one of the smaller skuas/ jaegers. I think it's Long-tailed Skua.

Dear Andrew Whitehouse

I checked my books, the wing pattern seems to look the same, but my bird have a white neck and looks like a white ring around the neck with the brownish head and the pattern coming down from the wing.

Kind Regards and Happy Birding!
Aladdin

 

[njlarsen]

Compare
ML27328651 - Long-tailed Jaeger - Macaulay Library
Which is an adult but clearly shows that the species is able to have a pale ring around the neck
Niels

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Dear Andrew Whitehouse

I checked my books, the wing pattern seems to look the same, but my bird have a white neck and looks like a white ring around the neck with the brownish head and the pattern coming down from the wing.

Kind Regards and Happy Birding!
Aladdin

They're extremely variable in immature plumages and will change as they age. The neck will tend to get whiter. Some examples similar to your bird or showing white/pale necks:

ML171120101 - Long-tailed Jaeger - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML171120101; © Richard Stern; Shelburne, Nova Scotia, Canada

macaulaylibrary.org

ML278850361 - Long-tailed Jaeger - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML278850361; © Stephen Murray; Somerset, Queensland, Australia

macaulaylibrary.org

ML304612841 - Long-tailed Jaeger - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML304612841; © Guillermo Saborío Vega; Puntarenas, Costa Rica

macaulaylibrary.org

ML113377491 - Long-tailed Jaeger - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML113377491; © Brian Sullivan; Monterey, California, United States

macaulaylibrary.org

ML171128791 - Long-tailed Jaeger - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML171128791; © Doug Gochfeld; Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States

macaulaylibrary.org

 

[Aladdin]

Compare
ML27328651 - Long-tailed Jaeger - Macaulay Library
Which is an adult but clearly shows that the species is able to have a pale ring around the neck
Niels

Thank you njlarsen!

I was just to dump my camera in to the Atlantic. That was a beautiful picture, my embarrassment is for sure not coming with any pride!

I guess my bird is young with a shorter tail. But the two white stripes in the wingtip is the same.

Cheers! very appreciated!

My Great Shearwater was a Rare Bird alert and this is as well.

Updated stats in eBird: Species 1600 for me and species with picture 1313

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

They're extremely variable in immature plumages and will change as they age. The neck will tend to get whiter. Some examples similar to your bird or showing white/pale necks:

ML171120101 - Long-tailed Jaeger - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML171120101; © Richard Stern; Shelburne, Nova Scotia, Canada

macaulaylibrary.org

ML278850361 - Long-tailed Jaeger - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML278850361; © Stephen Murray; Somerset, Queensland, Australia

macaulaylibrary.org

ML304612841 - Long-tailed Jaeger - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML304612841; © Guillermo Saborío Vega; Puntarenas, Costa Rica

macaulaylibrary.org

ML113377491 - Long-tailed Jaeger - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML113377491; © Brian Sullivan; Monterey, California, United States

macaulaylibrary.org

ML171128791 - Long-tailed Jaeger - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML171128791; © Doug Gochfeld; Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States

macaulaylibrary.org

Thank you Andrew Whitehouse!

Yes, some of the pictures looks like my bird. The wings are exactly the same and it looks like a tail

My bird is far away and I was lucky to get a picture.

Appreciate the help!

Kind Regards and Happy Birding!
Aladdin