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Seabirds found dead on New Zealand beaches in 1985, and a review of Pterodroma species recoveries since 1960

  • Publication Type

    Journal

  • Publication Year

    1987

  • Author(s)

    R.G. Powlesland

  • Journal Name

    Notornis

  • Volume, Issue

    34, 3

  • Pagination

    237-252

  • Article Type

    Paper

  • DOI

    https://doi.org/10.63172/333471qfucxb

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Seabirds found dead on New Zealand beaches in 1985, and a review of Pterodroma species recoveries since 1960

Notornis, 34 (3), 237-252

R.G. Powlesland (1987)

Article Type: Paper

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In 1985, 5,967 kilometres of coast were patrolled and 28,304 dead seabirds were found, both new records for the Beach Patrol Scheme. A new species for the scheme was a white-bellied storm petrel (Fregetta grallaria). Ten species were found in greater numbers in 1985 than in any previous year: little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor), Buller’s mollymawk (Diomedea bulleri), white-headed petrel (Pterodroma lessonii), fairy prion (Pachyptila turtur), fulmar prion (P. crassirostris), fluttering shearwater (Puffinus gavia), Australasian gannet (Sula bassana), pied shag (Phalacrocorax varius), red-billed gull (Larus novaehollandiae scopulinus) and white-fronted tern (Sterna striata). The record numbers of fairy prions, fulmar prions and fluttering shearwaters were the result of wrecks of these species in August-September, mainly along the western and southern coasts of the North Island. A summary is given of the coastal and monthly distributions for most Pterodroma species found during the 1960-1984 period. The most frequently found species was the white-headed petrel, a result of 30-100 being found in spring of most years.