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Seabirds found dead in New Zealand in 1960

Notornis, 9 (7), 225-230

P.C. Bull; B.W. Boeson (1961)

Article Type: Paper

Beach patrols in New Zealand during 1960 covered a total distance of 638 miles and yielded 1,121 dead birds (44 species). Albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters constituted 80 per cent. of the total specimens, the most abundant species being Pachyptila turtur (307 specimens), Puffinus gavia (158) and Puffinus griseus (129). The finding of four sooty terns (Sterna fuscata) was unusual. Highest seabird mortalities were recorded during the period August to December, and rates of mortality were higher on the west coast of the North Island than elsewhere.

Field identification and sex determination of the royal albatross

Notornis, 9 (1), 1-6, 13-20

K. Westerskov (1960)

Article Type: Paper

Royal albatrosses have black eyelids, white body plumage in all ages, longer bill and more rounded, protruding nose-tubes than the wandering albatross, which has pale greenish, bluish, pink or white eyelids. In flight, royal albatrosses often have the outer hands bent slightly backwards while wanderers usually form a near-perfect cross. The southern royal albatross (Diomedea epomophora epomophora) of Campbell Island is the larger and characterised by its white wing-patch: the smaller northern form (Diomedea epomophora sanfordi) has pure black wings. In the southern royal albatross males have usually appreciably more white on the wings than females: they are also a little bigger, with longer bills: length of middle toe nail in females is less than 24 mm., in males 24 mm. or more.

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