On 10 June 2009 David Andrews – a student from the University of East Anglia/UK helping Nature Seychelles on a program on the impact of Pisonia grandis on seabirds – made a startling discovery of a Herald Petrel Pterodroma arminjoniana on Cousin Island. In the west Indian Ocean, this bird is known to breed on Round Island, Mauritius. If the sighting and identification is confirmed by the Seychelles Bird Record Committee, it would be the first record of this dark petrel species in the Seychelles. Because it has an extremely large range, this bird is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
The Herald Petrel, was captured, ringed and measurements taken…
To his further excitement, David also had an unusual sighting of a Jouanins Petrel Bulweria fallax on top of Cousin hill on June 15. Outside the breeding season, this pelagic and solitary bird is considered as the most frequently reported all-dark petrel in Seychelles waters, notably between Aldabra, Farquhar and Amirantes. However, it is usually recorded from October to March in the Seychelles. The sighting in June and on land is therefore very unusual. Jouanins Petrel is classified as Near Threatened by IUCN due to its suspected moderately small range, which is offshore in the Arabian Sea, and Gulfs of Aden and Oman. Its breeding grounds have recently been discovered in Socotra island, South of Yemen where approximately 50 pairs were found and around 3,000 pairs are now estimated to nest locally on mainland cliffs.
…and so was the Jouanins Petrel.
David provided us with photos of the birds subsequent capture and ringing. The finding has been sent to Adrien Skerret of the Seychelles Bird Record Committee for species validation.
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[...] In July 2009 we brought you the news of the sighting of what was presumed were Herald’s and Jounin’s Petrels on Cousin Island – See this post. [...]