BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETREL Hydrobates castro helena

Band-rumped Storm-petrel is a complex of anything up to eight cryptic species, spread across tropical and subtropical Atlantic and Pacific, probably commoner in the Atlantic. Two new species have been described, Monteiro's and Cape Verde, but differences, particularly at sea, are slight and summer and winter breeders at the same islands complicate matters. These birds, taken on Ascension, would be St.Helena storm-petrel if split. They breed in both warm and cool seasons, but as yet there is no evidence of the two differing. Both attend colonies in daylight contra most storm-petrels, and the notched tail seems to be a fairly consistent feature. To me the "jizz" is different to other Band-rumps I have seen.


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