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Seabird(Iden+ca+on(Guide(
Bronwyn(Maree( Ross Wanless

BirdLife(South(Africa(
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All(images((Ross(Wanless(
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 Common%species%in%the%%
South%Atlan2c%Ocean%
Procellariiforms%
Albatrosses%
Petrels%(&%shearwaters)%
Storm<petrels%
Skuas%
Gannets%
Procellariiform%=%tube<nosed%seabirds%
FUSED(TUBE(

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=%petrel%(includes%shearwaters)%
UNFUSED(TUBE(

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=%albatross%
 Follow(
Albatrosses%=%3%genera% ships?(
(
Great((WanderingHtype):(Diomedea(
( %%
Smaller((mollymawk):(Thalassarche( %
( %%
Dark((SootyHtype):(Phoebetria( %
( %
%
 Diomedea(albatrosses%
Globally%%5%species%
Wandering% Widespread%in%
N%Royal% Southern%Ocean%
S%Royal% %
Tristan% Atlan2c%Ocean%(mostly)%
Amsterdam% Indian%Ocean%(endemic)%
%
 Wandering%Albatross%
Enormous(wingspan%
Undersides%completely%
white%except%wing%2ps%
3.5%meters% Very%narrow%black%trailing%
edge%to%underwings%

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Juvenile(
Start%o%all<dark,%%
%get%white%with%age%

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Sub<adult/young% Immature/%
adult% adult% (Tristan%

White%
breaks%
from%
centre%

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ADULT%Tristan/Wandering%<%upperside%

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1. White%back%
2. Black%in%tail%
1%+%2%+%White%in%wings%=%diagnos2c%
N%and%S%Royal%albatrosses%always%have%
Black%cuZng%edge%on%bill%
White%backs%(no%dark%
juvenile%stage)%
All<white%tails%
%

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N%and%S%Royal%albatrosses%always%have%
N%%No%white%in%wings,%ever%
S%%Leading%edge%always%white%%
%White%breaks%from%leading%
edge%down,%not%from%centre%

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 So%you%have%a%massive%albie%
Things%to%look%for:%
1. Brown%back/underbody%%Wandering/Tristan%(juv)%
WHITE%BACK%+%CUTTING%EDGE%ON%BILL%
1. NO%DARK%EDGE%=%Wandering/Tristan%
2. DARK%EDGE,%ALL<DARK%UPPERWINGS%=%Northern%Royal%
3. DARK%EDGE,%WHITE%IN%UPPERWINGS%=%Southern%Royal%
%
NOTE%EXCEPTIONS%%juvenile%Royals%not%easily%separable%
 Black<backed%albies%Thalassarche(
4%in%region,%only%two%extensive%in%Atlan2c%
Shy<type%(mostly%Indian%Ocean)%
Black<browed%(widespread)%
Atlan2c%Yellow<nosed%(Atlan2c%endemic)%
Indian%Yellow<nosed%(mostly%Indian%Ocean)%
Grey<headed%(very%far%south)%%
 Shy<type%
Includes%Shy%(cauta)%and%
White<capped%(steadi)%
Largest%of%mollies%
Diagnos2c%black%armpit%notch%
Underwings%mostly%white,%
have%narrow%black%edges%all%
round%

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 JUVENILE% IMMATUR ADULT%
Bill%2p%dark% E%
Bill%2p%lighter% Bill%2p%yellow%
Grey%collar% No%collar% No%collar%
Grey%head,% Grey%head% Head%has%
extremely% lighter% pale%grey%
variable% wash,%lighter%
cap%
 Black<browed%
%Albatross%

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Adult%has%orange%bill%with%pinkish%2p%
Dark%eye<shadow%
White%underwing%with%THICK%leading%&%trailing%
edges%
 Dark%underwing%
Brown<grey%bill%
with%dark%2p%
Incomplete%%
grey%collar%

Subadult% Ross Wanless

White%underwing%with%thick,%
smudgy%black%edging%
Pale%bill%with%dark%2p%
Juvenile%
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 Juvenile%Black<browed%and%shy<type%
albatrosses%
If%size%of%bill%in%hand%
does%not%tell%you%
immediately,%then%
%
Underwing%%
pajern%%
is%%
key!%
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 Atlan2c%Yellow<nosed%
Albatross%

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Black%bill,%yellow%stripe%on(top(
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Grey%head,%white%cap%%
 Atlan2c%Yellow<nosed%
Albatross%

White%under<wing%+%thick,%
dark%leading%edge%

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 INDIAN% ATLANTIC%
Yellow%stripe%
ends%in%point%
%
Yellow%stripe%
ends%with%
rounded%

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 Northern%&%Southern%Giant<petrels%
Dark,%albatross<sized%
petrels%

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Both%chocolate<
brown%juveniles,%
whiten%with%age%
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 Northern%&%Southern%Giant<petrels%
Separa2on%is%dicult%%only%one%feature%

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N:%reddish<brown%bill%2p% S:%greenish%bill%2p%
At<sea:%look%for%contrast% At<sea:%lijle%contrast%
White%phase%Southern%Giant<petrel%

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 Smaller%procellariiforms%
Petrels%(=%short,%stout%bills)%
Pintado%Petrel%
White<chinned%Petrel%
Spectacled%Petrel%
%
Shearwaters%(=%long,%slender%bills)%
Sooty%Shearwater%
Great%Shearwater%
Corys%Shearwater%
Pintado%Petrel%%unmistakeable!%

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 White<chinned%Petrel%

Commonest%
Dark<brown%
White%chin%
Ivory%bill%

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 Spectacled%Petrel%
Striking%facial%pajern%
Very%obvious,%even%from%
distance%
Dark%2p%to%bill%diagnos2c%

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White<chinned% % %vs%%%% %Spectacled%
White<chins%%variable%white%
on%face%&%head%
Dark%2p%to%bill%diagnos2c%for%
Spectacled%
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 Sooty%Shearwater%

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Small,%uniformly%dark%with%narrow%tail%
Dark%bill,%not%white%like%White<chinned%Petrel%
Sooty%Shearwater%
Silvery%underwing%is%
diagnos2c%

%Barrie%Rose%
Barrie Rose
Great%Shearwater%

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 Great%Shearwater%
Dirty%belly%<%diagnos2c%
Dark%cap%with%white%
neck%
%
%
%
%
%
Dark%margins%to%mojled%
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white%underwing%
 Corys%Shearwater%
(does%not%follow%ships)%
Orange/yellow%bill,%dark(+p(
White%undersides%
% Ross Wanless

%
%
%
%
%
Lacks%white%collar%(%Great)%
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 Storm<petrels%

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 Other%large%seabirds%around%vessels%
Sub<Antarc2c%(Southern)%Skua%
Cape%Gannet%
%
 Sub<Antarc2c%Skua%

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 Other%large%seabirds%around%vessels%
Sub<Antarc2c%Skua%
Compara2vely%short,%broad%wings%
White%ashes%on%wings%(upper<%and%under<sides)%
%
Cape%Gannet%

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 Other%large%seabirds%around%vessels%
Seldom%far%from%shelf%edge%(=mostly%coastal)%
Similar%size%to%smaller%albatrosses%
Orange%head%unique%
Juveniles%all<dark%
Plunges%into%water%at%great%speed%from%50%m+%
%
Mul2<species%ID%photos%

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Mul2<species%ID%photos%