Monterey Bay pelagic birds

MONTEREY BAY: PELAGIC BIRDS

ALBATROSSES AND SHEARWATERS

text & most photos by Don Roberson

those attributed to other photographers are
used with permission; all rights reserved.

These pages feature the regular pelagic birds to be found on Monterey Bay boat trips, but each species has its own season. Of course, not all birds will be found every trip, even in the prime season. Inshore species are excluded. All photos on this page were taken on Monterey Bay. We begin with albatrosses through shearwaters.

Black-footed Albatross numbers are highest May-July but a few may appear on any date.

Photos above © D. Roberson, 4 Oct 2000 (left) & 16 May 1999 (right). Photos below © D. Roberson, 10 Feb 1996 (left) & 26 Jan 1980 (right).

Laysan Albatross is more often found well offshore than inshore, but one might highlight any Monterey Bay trip on any date, although winter is best.

Photos below © D. Roberson, 11 Feb 1982 (left, Monterey harbor) & 10 Feb 1996 (right)

Northern Fulmar appears in winter (mostly Nov-Feb) but in flight years some can linger into the next summer. Dark morphs (left) generally predominate but in some winters white morphs (right) may appear.

Photos below © D. Roberson, 11 Oct 1998 (left) & 22 Sep 1982 (right)

Pink-footed Shearwater is primarily an autumn visitor (Aug-Nov) but a few may linger into winter.

Photos below © D. Roberson, 10 Feb 1996 (left) & 19 Sep 1981 (right)

Flesh-footed Shearwater is a scarce but annual visitor, mostly in fall (Aug-Nov) but increasingly there have been a few records for winter and spring.

Photos below © D. Roberson, 6 Oct 1999 (left) & 9 Oct 1977 (right)

Buller's Shearwater is a fall visitor, primarily Aug-Oct, with numbers varying from year to year.

Photos below © D. Roberson, 22 Sep 1982 (left) & 6 Oct 1999 (right)

Sooty Shearwater is usually the most abundant procelarid on Monterey Bay, with half-a-million here May-July, and a few in all seasons.

Look for the Sooty's long-billed profile compared with the next species, and the striking 'silvery flash' pattern to the underwings.

Photos below © D. Roberson 3 Oct 1992 (left) & © W. Ed Harper Feb 1984 (right)

Short-tailed Shearwater is a winter visitor, rare before Nov., but in some years is more common in mid-winter than Sooty. Note its shorter bill and proportions.

Many Short-tails may have patchy white underwings but the distribution of the white is different than on Sooty. Other small differences include a paler chin and steeper forehead on Short-tails.

Black-vented Shearwater is a late fall and winter visitor, always hugging the shoreline. More arrive earlier in very warm-water years.

The black vent is a nice mark (right) but a some (far left) may have a whitish vent [3 Black-vents in this photo with Sooty Shearwater, foreground].

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Page created 6-7 Nov 2002