Sea bird in middle Gulf of Thailand this very afternoon (2 Viewers)

[Aladdin]

Dear members and bird watchers!

Today I had a bird flying along the bow wave. Occasional dives for fish.

I could only use explosion proof camera so the pictures are every bad. But I have seen what the member have done ID birds with poor pictures here before so I take my chance.

Bill skin coloured, feet skin/ red coloured. The bill is very pointy with a down bend at the end. Looked like the bill and the face had the same skin and the feathers started behind the eye.

Black on top of the wings and what looked to be black wing tip. Gulf of Thailand so I guess the birds might have been dirty. The bird looked white but dirty. A band on the chest in grey/ red colour, throat and belly white/ dirty.

I looked for the birds at Wikipedia: Birds in Thailand and I cannot find any bird looking like this.

Bill a little like a gannet or bobby

Anyone know what kind of bird it is even though the pictures are normally nothing I would have posted.


Kind regards and happy birding
Aladdin

 

[Larry Sweetland]

I'd suggest Red-footed Booby

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

I'd suggest Red-footed Booby

Agreed, with that combination of pink/red bare parts and suggestion of narrow dark breast-band + suggestion of paler tail tip in 2nd image? Possibly only 2nd national record?

Grahame

 

[Aladdin]

I'd suggest Red-footed Booby

Thank you!

Actually, this was the first bird I was thinking about but after looking at pictures I gave up the idea as the birds on the pictures had a blue bill.

It was really striking how red the feet was, but after having looked at the pictures I thought it might have been the sun giving the colour.

Kind regards
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

Agreed, with that combination of pink/red bare parts and suggestion of narrow dark breast-band + suggestion of paler tail tip in 2nd image? Possibly only 2nd national record?

Grahame

Thank you!

I attach a few more pictures for the wingshape. Looks like other Red-footed Bobbies. I took hundreds of pictures and none is good.

It is like a mobile phone but explosion proof as I must have this on the oil and gas fields so next to impossible to get a good picture. Hundreds of pictures and no one is good

And yes, if it would not have been for the bill colour I would think it is a Red-footed.

But the bird look very dirty or greyish so the bill colour might have been less blue as on the internet pictures. Put it was clearly pink / skin coloured and the face and shape is good for the Red-footed on the internet pictures.

If it is only the 2nd recording in Thailand I will wait for a while before reporting it on eBird.

Position of bird at 16:00
N10 deg 39,8Min
E101Deg 40,5min

Bird sailflying along the bow wave while steaming south towards Greater Bongkot North Field

Kind regards
Aladdin

 

[johnallcock]

If it is only the 2nd recording in Thailand I will wait for a while before reporting it on eBird.

Position of bird at 16:00
N10 deg 39,8Min
E101Deg 40,5min

Bird sailflying along the bow wave while steaming south towards Greater Bongkot North Field

Kind regards
Aladdin

Why wait to report the bird on eBird? I think the ID can be agreed on your photos but they are not very clear and if anyone in the area was able to relocate the bird and get better photos it may help secure the record for the national list.
Other birders in the area may be interested to look for it, or some may even have seen it and be struggling to identify it as a rarity, so posting your sighting may help these people.

 

[Aladdin]

Why wait to report the bird on eBird? I think the ID can be agreed on your photos but they are not very clear and if anyone in the area was able to relocate the bird and get better photos it may help secure the record for the national list.
Other birders in the area may be interested to look for it, or some may even have seen it and be struggling to identify it as a rarity, so posting your sighting may help these people.

Thank you!

OK, now when you have encourage me I will get right on to it. The members here are excellent in IDing birds so I will report it today.

And the eBird team is also very helpful to correct me so I have learnt a lot from them.

Kind regards and happy birding
Aladdin

 

[pbjosh]

I don't see anything dubious about the ID - the photos are plenty good enough to unequivocally call this a Red-footed Booby.

 

[Aladdin]

I don't see anything dubious about the ID - the photos are plenty good enough to unequivocally call this a Red-footed Booby.

Thank you!

I have reported it to eBird now. Just have to wait with the details until back in Rayong as I only have slow internet via satellite while on the oilfield.

Will hopefully be reported with full details tomorrow Monday when I am back to full internet.

Kind regards and happy birding
Aladdin