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Shearwater south of Sagres, Portugal 08 September 2024 (1 Viewer)

kb57

Well-known member
Europe
Mar Ilimitado pelagic out of Sagres this morning. This sequence of mostly not very sharp photos was of a shearwater which was called by the marine biologist leading the trip as a Manx, due to it being much more contrasty (i.e. pale underneath) than the Balearics , a few of which we'd seen beetling past earlier. I had my doubts because it didn't look anywhere near dark and contrasty enough; however (a) its a good few years since I've seen a Manx (albeit lots of them from the Islay ferry); (b) the light was strong by then, bleaching out contrast (e.g. great shearwater caps didn't look that dark); and (c) I didn't want to be the smart*ss who questioned her judgement in front of the rest of the boat.
Now I've looked at my photos I'm certain it's not a Manx, and the question remains of whether it is good for Balearic; is maybe a Yelkouan; or perhaps a 'Menorcan' intermediate which can't be safely determined. Note also it was hanging around the chum slick, which isn't a very Manx (or Balearic??) thing to do. Photos I'm fairly certain are the same bird which flew then settled again, and are in the sequence they were taken.
 

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I'm giving this a gentle bump before it falls off the first page, to see if anyone will jump in with a second opinion. After looking at photographs in Howell and Zufelt 'Oceanic Birds of the World' and the excellent analysis by Bob Flood in Birdguides: https://www.birdguides.com/articles...aric-and-yelkouan-shearwaters-photo-id-guide/
...I think this is just a relatively pale Balearic.
Although it has a pale chin and throat, extending well back on the neck which made it look contrasty in the field, photo 5a shows some underwing features which seem to confirm Balearic; it appears to show a continuous dark flank bar under the wing, which would be broken in Yelkouan and intermediate taxa. The axillary bar also looks broad and diffuse, as opposed to thin and discrete. The other pictures don't help much, other than the head pattern showing a relatively plain face without any pale ear coverts, and absence of 'spectacled' appearance seen in Yelkouan.
 
I'm giving this a gentle bump before it falls off the first page, to see if anyone will jump in with a second opinion. After looking at photographs in Howell and Zufelt 'Oceanic Birds of the World' and the excellent analysis by Bob Flood in Birdguides: https://www.birdguides.com/articles...aric-and-yelkouan-shearwaters-photo-id-guide/
...I think this is just a relatively pale Balearic.
Although it has a pale chin and throat, extending well back on the neck which made it look contrasty in the field, photo 5a shows some underwing features which seem to confirm Balearic; it appears to show a continuous dark flank bar under the wing, which would be broken in Yelkouan and intermediate taxa. The axillary bar also looks broad and diffuse, as opposed to thin and discrete. The other pictures don't help much, other than the head pattern showing a relatively plain face without any pale ear coverts, and absence of 'spectacled' appearance seen in Yelkouan.
legs seem longer than tail. Despite pale belly etc suggest balearic [or "Mediterranean" if that's what the re-lumped taxon is]
 
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