D285/6: Birds and other wildlife around the Crozet Islands

Hugh Venables, NOC

King Penguin

Gentoo Penguin

Macaroni Penguin

Some large crested penguins with large bills seen soon after entering the work area were almost certainly this species and a group of 3 birds were photographed south of the islands. A large penguin colony on Ile de la Possession was probably this species. Other crested penguins seen intermittently during the 2 cruises were probably mostly this species. Apparently one colony on Ile de la Possession had a lone Royal Penguin in it.

African Penguin

Plenty of birds as we left Cape Town and a few more while we were still over the shelf in waters les than 200m deep. Some were also seen as we left Port Elizabeth out as far as the edge of the continental shelf where they were part of a feeding group including Cape Gannets, Cory’s Shearwaters and British Storm Petrel.

Wandering Albatross

Northern Royal Albatross

3 sightings, probably 2 birds – one in north of work area and one south of the islands. The first was a clean plumaged bird so probably and old immature or adult. The smartest great albatross with wings clean black and head and tail white. Black mark on underwing on  leading edge at carpal obvious and no white frosting identify from Southern Royal. The white head and tail and paler bill identify from Wandering. The second bird immediately appeared slightly smaller (unlike the first and possibly exacerbated by posture and increased experience) and the pale bill, head held above the line of the body and white head showed it was a Royal and the carpal mark identified it as Northern. The back was not as clean white as the first so it was presumably a younger bird, the upper wings were clean black.

Southern Royal Albatross

Main problem was separating birds with almost totally black wings from Northern Royal. One had some black in the tail (therefore a very young bird) and a reasonably clean back (whereas a very young Northern would have a mottled back) so was clearly Southern. 2 other birds had white tails but a very slight hint of speckling on the wing, especially a small white elbow patch rather than the almost glossy black of Northern so were Southern. They had black at the carpal on the underside but not as large as the Northern Royals. A total of 52 sightings but some will have been of birds seen on previous days but probably at least 30 birds (almost all of 15 birds photographed definitely distinct).

Black-browed Albatross

Shy Albatross

Common in the wake from leaving the shelf from South Africa until we crossed the Subantarctic Front and entered the work area, after which there were very few sightings. Distinctive broad wings with very narrow black border and dark back fades towards pale crown so largish area of grey on upper back/neck. Thumb mark visible on close birds but I don’t understand why it is given so much weight in the books – the only thing that looks similar to Shy/Salvin’s (mostly white, thin black margin) from underneath is a young Wandering and they have the same mark. Off-yellow bill. Distinctly larger and broader winged than other non-great albatrosses (except Salvin’s). One bird seen in the work area and 2 on the way back, the reduced numbers either due to going through slightly warmer water or to birds having largely migrated away. At one point a group of young Wandering Albatrosses were displaying to each other and a Shy Albatross was being ignored so it started pulling at the wing feathers of the Wanderers, seemingly to get attention.

Grey-headed Albatross

Grey hood separated from dark back by slightly paler collar (unlike Salvin’s). Underwing messier than any other albatross. Yellow on bill on top and bottom (only top on Yellow-nosed). Immatures similar to Black-browed but bill normally noticeably black (pale-ish with dark tip on Black-browed means that contrast often noticeable) and underwings generally darker.

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross

Light-mantled Sooty Albatross

Northern Giant Petrel

Antarctic Fulmar

Seen relatively frequently through the first leg most places we went once we got into our work area and into water temperatures below 5° but only one seen on the second leg and that was at 48.5S and was being attacked by a Northern Giant Petrel so presumably birds winter in the area (they don’t breed on the Crozets) and then move south (the healthy ones anyway). Very distinctive – flight similar to Cape Petrel (and Northern Fulmar) but grey plumage tones unique, especially for a bird of that size.

Cape Petrel

Try getting this one wrong! Actually a much prettier bird than I had imagined it, flight fulmar-like with stiff wings. Normally present at some point each day but never numerous on the first leg, scarcer on the second legs with birds close in to the islands (where a scarce breeder) and to the south.

Great-winged Petrel

Mostly seen in Agulhas Return Current with most birds in moult indicating non-breeders. It is meant to finish breeding in December so these are presumably young birds and/or non-breeding adults. 2 birds to the north-west of the plateau in late November were the only ones seen around Crozet area. Good numbers seen on the passages back to and from Port Elizabeth with the first ones on the way out almost immediately after getting into deep water - only 1 hour after we entered the large number of birds associated with the shelf break.

White-headed Petrel

Very nice bird, white head and tail and larger size make identification from Soft-plumaged quite simple, dark eye mark fairly obvious. Flight not as erratic as Soft-plumaged. Large numbers (11, 10 and 9 on the three daytime crossings of the Subantarctic Front) seen given the small Crozet breeding population (100-200 pairs). Presumably some birds are coming from Kerguelen area where the population is tens of thousands.

Kerguelen Petrel

4 birds came on deck, the first almost landing at my feet before trying to occupy the same corner as a South Georgian Diving Petrel. They give a load yelp when picked up. Unfortunately the next one hit the side of the boat quite hard and was prone for some time. It gradually recovered and started wandering about the deck and both its wings were fine so hopefully it was OK after I put it over the side. I decided to put the birds over immediately as we were close to the breeding areas and if the bird was on its way to the nest then boxing it and releasing it in the morning would have added a day to its return time to the nest. The birds are still dazzled though so have to be held over the side for a minute or so before being thrown from the ship. Soe return to the ship so you are risking injury but when near the nest then holding them would have risked their chick – not a simple call. The lights were turned off immediately the work on deck was completed.

Soft-plumaged Petrel

Dark underwings and white belly on a pterodroma only leave this and White-headed Petrel (Grey Petrel is a much larger sturdier bird), dark breast-band, head and tail eliminate latter. Often glides but also has Nightjar-like flight with wings raised high over back and with rapid changes in direction. Absent from some areas, especially where SST<4°C. 2 fully dark-morph birds seen and one with a dusky belly. The upperparts were normal and the flight is distinctly different from normal Kerguelen Petrel flight with shallower, more even arcs and slower, less frenetic wingbeats though some Soft-plumaged Petrels did tower well above the sea before falling steeply downwards in a way similar to Kerguelen Petrel.

Barau’s Petrel

5 sightings over 7^th-9^th December in waters 21-25°C but not on the return from Port Elizabeth. Like Soft-plumaged but with pale underwings and undertail with black borders and dark diagonal mark across wing coverts (a ‘cookilaria’ petrel). Darker above with M mark but the outer secondaries/inner primaries were almost as dark as the ‘M’ and the tail was also dark above. Dark head but white forehead. Intermediate between Soft-plumaged and Great-winged Petrels in size.

Blue Petrel

Dark cap and breast sides and white underneath and on tip of tail make it quite easy to pick from prions. Flight slightly stiffer and bill darker also help but aren’t necessary for ID. Dark breast band and rapid stiff wings strangely reminiscent of Ringed Plover! Showed an amusing desire to get itself in very strange places when they came on deck – one spent a long time trying to go behind some small pipes, getting one wing at a time past each so impossible to remove until it got bored and came out again.

Salvin’s Prion

Unless we were in a very narrow ‘beam’ of birds then there must have been of order 1 million birds flying south so presumably the majority of the islands’ populations of these species forage to the south, certainly nothing like these numbers were seen to the north, despite the large phytoplankton bloom found there – the south was meant to be the unproductive control area! Large numbers of prions, probably largely this species, present between M6 and M2 with flocks of 3-500 milling around or sat on the water.

Prion sp.

Two birds seen with noticeably darker head and much reduced supercilium but also a sturdy grey bill so I am not sure what they were. The numbers of White-headed Petrels and Slender-billed Prions suggest a source of birds from Kerguelen, especially to the south of the islands around 49S and therefore the potential for there to be reasonable numbers of Antarctic Prion. Arguably some of the prions down there showed darker breast sides, dusky flanks behind the wing, duskier underwings and superciliums extending in front of the eye but all very subtle and dependent on the strength of the light. The heads also appeared more bulbous but this could have been because they appeared darker.

Slender-billed Prion

Present occasionally but hard to pick out – combination of pale tail sides (though note Salvin’s has pale tail sides when tail spread), dark central streak on undertail but with pale sides, head pattern with strong supercilium joining pale lores (obvious in some lights) and overall paleness, small size and more active flight necessary for identification. One bird followed the boat for a while allowing points to be gone through – harder on passing birds where much less time. Picking birds out from Salvin’s a bit like picking Roseate Tern from Common – paler and slightly smaller and then some actual features to check. Reasonable numbers (5-10) in the far south suggested a source other than the Crozets (or the population estimate there of 10-20 being wrong). The population on Kerguelen is in the millions so this seems quite possible and, if so, there could well also have been Antarctic Prions around as they have a similar population on Kerguelen.

Fairy Prion

Seen in reasonable numbers in the work area. Initially picked out by much broader dark tail band (most definite feature) but has paler head and is significantly smaller than Salvin’s – points that become much more obvious after several days than they are initially. Interesting record was of quite large numbers flying along the direction of the first SeaSoar leg, clearly trying to get somewhere. The Optical Plankton Counter (OPC) on the SeaSoar showed very low zooplankton (really particulates of any description) concentrations where the birds were seen but enhanced values very suddenly at the eastern end of the leg. Occasionally showed interest in floating kelp.

White-chinned Petrel

British Storm Petrel

Good numbers, (20-30) as we crossed the shelf break out from Port Elizabeth though even within this area they were in discrete areas. White on underwing more obvious than normal, possibly due to soft evening light or moult state. Not seen elsewhere but a couple of Storm Petrels seen with Bottlenose Dolphins and Pilot Whales just before reaching Port Elizabeth may have been this species.

Wilson’s Storm-petrel

Often present in the wake and around the boat, shows some interest in floating kelp. Only Storm-petrel present away from African shelf break with all dark underparts. Smaller than Black-bellied but this hard to appreciate though flight generally more rapid and erratic and wings more pointed and angled back.

Grey-backed Storm-petrel

Reasonably common, especially close into the islands where often found around floating patches of kelp. Grey rump and grey wash to upperwings/body characteristic. Looks smaller than Wilson’s. Feeds with small two-footed hops – body tends to go down and up, head held higher than body. 3 birds came on deck during a passage between the islands in the evening of 31/12 – not good to see the birds fly into the boat but great to have an opportunity to handle Storm-petrels again.

Black-bellied Storm-petrel

Fairly common, hard to tell from Wilson’s from above due to similar paler brown markings on coverts but white belly/underwing coverts always obvious unless seen very briefly and tends to glide more. Dark belly stripe normally visible but extent varies between individuals. Forages with a striding pattern over the water – tends to go forward rapidly after dropping to the surface but also stops and hops two-footed when feeding in a similar way to Grey-backed.

White-bellied Storm-petrel

One sighting in north of work area of a bird on a patch of kelp on the first leg (11/11) and two in the front bordering the area on the second leg (18/12 and 24/12). Grey wash to upperwings quite different from the brown covert marks of Black-bellied but white belly needed to be confident.

South Georgian Diving-petrel

Most Diving petrels have to go down as unidentified but some close ones have shown pale fringes to the scapulars, a pale collar and pale underwings (these are more visible than the books make out) and so can, I believe, be identified as this species. When there are increased numbers of diving petrels then they can often be assigned to ‘dusky’ or ‘paler’ and so long as they are seen in similar light this may be a way of getting the proportions between the species but is unsatisfactory really. Some of both species came on deck occasionally, especially when we were close to the islands. Pale collar and scapular fringes normally evident and underside of bill could be seen to check that these features were useful.

Common Diving-petrel

Similarly to above, some close birds have dusky neck sides extending down onto the breast sides, a cleaner back and duskier underwings so can confidently be called this species. Diving-petrels generally fly with rapid wingbeats but wing pattern can often be discerned, also glide for surprisingly long periods, especially when going across the wind, and can then resemble Little Shearwater but are dumpy with shorter wings.

Cory’s Shearwater

Reasonably common from 7-9/12 as we returned through warm water to Port Elizabeth and on the way out again until 16/12. One photo of underwing showed dark primaries so, as would be expected, the birds are of Atlantic breeding origin.

Great Shearwater

Seen in good numbers for the first day out of Cape Town but only 2 on the second day as we went east and into deeper water.

Sooty Shearwater

Again common on the first day out of Cape Town but only one on the second day. One bird on 16/12 as we returned to the work area and then four singles in the work area on the second leg. Obviously different from White-chinned Petrel due to more slender body and wings, pale flashes on underwing, dark bill and flap-flap-glide shearwater flight.

Flesh-footed Shearwater

Single birds on 7^th and 8^th December behind the boat on return through warm water (around 20°C). Told from Sooty Shearwater by dark underwings, pale bill base and probably a less energetic flight (but not seen together). Bill colour, slim wings and shortish tail rule out Wedge-tailed Shearwater. Also seen on 15/12 on way out again from Port Elizabeth. Smaller and with different flight action to White-chinned Petrel.

Little Shearwater

Most birds seen on our passages to and from the work area (one inside area on first leg and then 3 on the morning of 14/1 on second leg). Very small with rapid wingbeats, sheared occasionally (with body level), one with distinctly bent down wings (fitting with the Common Sandpiper-like flight description) another seemed to hold its wings straighter. White on face obviously extended around eye but any pattern to upperwing not evident but birds were in heavy moult and so looked very messy on upperwing. Impression closer to a diving petrel (they do glide occasionally) than anything else present (and Manx Shearwater) though clearly a shearwater when watched for any period of time.

Cape Gannet

Common as we left Cape Town up to the shelf edge and also as we approached Port Elizabeth. Very large numbers – over 1000 – feeding at the shelf break as we left Port Elizabeth together with Cory’s Shearwaters, British Storm Petrels and African Penguins. A very pronounced line of birds could be seen as we approached the shelf break which took about 45 minutes to pass through (therefore about 8 miles wide). All black tail and secondaries separate from Northern Gannet but gular stripe generally not visible unless close birds banked to show underside.

Crozet Shag

Seen in passage between Ile de la Possession and Ile de Est on 19/11 and when close to Ile de la Possession on 22/12. Also around on 8/1 on trip ashore. Distinctive, white patches on wing small and very elongated.

Black-faced Sheathbill

Subantarctic Skua

Cape Gull

Seen as we left Cape Town and then again around the islands (where looked much smaller as we had got used to Giant Petrels and albatrosses by then)

Sabine’s Gull

Seen in good numbers over shelf as we left Cape Town and a few over the shelf break as we left from Port Elizabeth. Interesting to see in large numbers and in winter plumage.

Hartlaub’s Gull

Seen nearshore as we left Cape Town

Common Tern

Seen in good numbers over shelf as we left Cape Town but not subsequently. Many birds around Cape Town in first-summer plumage so looked quite different to normal with dark old secondaries.

Sandwich Tern

Seen in good numbers over shelf as we left Cape Town and again near to Port Elizabeth.

Swift Tern

Quite common as we left Cape Town and then several sightings as we continued to close the shelf and some soon after we got into deep water. Very large.

Arctic Tern

Seen occasionally in the open ocean. Some birds seen well and definitely this species but more distant birds could have been Antarctic Tern, especially one that looked slightly bulkier (but also very pale).

Antarctic Tern

Some young birds with deeply forked tails, brown wing coverts and pale belly were presumably this species as they were not Arctic or Kerguelen. Some adult birds present offshore from Ile de la Possession – underwings pale and tail more deeply forked than Kerguelen and dived once into the water (and caught a fish)

Kerguelen Tern

One in Crique du Sphinx bay showed shallow tail fork and grey underwings and belly. Not seen for long but picked at surface a couple of times. Present in passage between Ile de la Possession and Ile de Est and south of the islands. Small, grey underwings contrast between grey back and white rump distinctive as is marsh-tern like feeding action. White streak between cap and grey underparts visible in good views.

Other wildlife

Humpback Whale

First individual was one initially off the port side (rolled through my binocular view while I was watching some White-chinned Petrels) showing characteristic dorsal fin – elongated hump with small falcate fin on rear end. It reappeared about 100m out on the starboard side 10 minutes later and then 20m off after another 15-20 minutes. One rolled distantly in calm seas during the first leg of the SeaSoar survey on 14/11 and then a feeding group of at least 4 were homed in on while we were searching for Pelagra (a free floating buoy) on 19/11 (by luck – we were tracking the buoy from it’s radio signal). Another group, about a mile ahead of the boat were presumably this species were seen as we approached the islands later that morning and then one was alongside the boat not long after lunch. One breached repeated in front of the bow at dawn on 25/11.

A small group on 17/12 were spotted from the bridge tail slapping but then dived before people got out on deck to look for them. When they came back they found me and told me about them and I soon found them again blowing quite distantly, presumably after they had been underwater for 10-15 minutes. There was a slight concentration of storm petrels (mostly Black-bellied) in the area they came up in which made me concentrate on it but it was not enough to suspect cetaceans too strongly if they hadn’t already been seen. Plenty of promising-looking feeding groups of birds didn’t lead to a cetacean sighting.

Sperm Whale

One logging on the port side just after we recovered Pelagra at M3 on 19/11, depth about 2400m. It blew every 20-30 seconds – clearly diagonally and at one point the blow hole was visible and clearly pointed to the left. More of a lump than a dorsal fin and the dark tail was visible briefly as the animal rolled sideways slightly. Very dark in colour.
One animal close to the boat on the 17/12 rolled a few times and could be seen well from the bridge. 3 more were further out, about 800m apart and going in the same direction could be identified by the blow and ‘fin’ in the case of the closest one. Another seen later in cruise while I was asleep

Whale Sp.

2 blows seen distantly on 3/11. A whale seen briefly on 17/1 as we passed over the South-West Indian Ridge showed a falcate dorsal fin and a more cylindrical body than a rorqual and was probably a Southern Bottlenose Whale but unfortunately the head wasn’t seen.

Long-finned Pilot Whale

50+ behind the boat for some time on 10/1. They occasionally gathered into a close group, presumably feeding, before returning to close behind the boat – often no need for binoculars, even to get photos. They were around for over an hour but towards the end they were distant behind the stern (after we started steaming away) and could only be found by looking below the large flock of birds circling above them. Variable amounts of white behind the dorsal fin and dorsal fins varied from relatively sickle-like to very broad based. Often showed all of head as they swam out of the side of a wave.

Pilot Whale sp.

About 10 animals with Bottlenose Dolphins on 9/12 in 23°C water. The area level with the southern tip of Africa is an area of overlap in the given distributions so probably not attributable to species unless the SST is significant.

Killer Whale

Pod of 4+ including one male seen distantly just south of the islands on 19/11. 2 individual animals seen near to the islands on 22/12, the first one came past quite close and had a significant group of birds following it which made it easy to follow. The fins were relatively small, presumably they were young males between maternal group and being a fully mature male. A pod of 3 seen while searching for Pelagra near to M6 (49S, 51E) included a mature male. Mostly just the fins seen but occasional views of the blow hole area and upper sides of body. Blow visible but indistinct even though they were at close range (c.200m). 2 more (1 mature male) seen in Baie du Marin before we landed on the islands – cruising very close inshore (inshore of the kelp). The penguins clearly knew they were there as there were none in the water near the beach as they went past but then plenty soon after they had gone.

Dusky Dolphin

Several small groups as we left Cape Town in calm conditions. None of them were particularly active, two-toned dorsal fin (dark leading half, greyer trailing half) the most useful feature (I had seen them breaching from just north of Cape Town earlier in the week when full markings were clear).

Bottlenose Dolphin

About 15-20 animals (associating with about 10 Pilot Whales) on 9/12. Some came in and rode in the bow wave where they could be seen underwater and heard clicking for a short time before rejoining the whales. They breached occasionally, once at least 2m clear of the water while returning to the whales.

South African Fur Seal

Common in Cape Town docks and over the shelf. Many individuals held their flippers in the air – catching the morning sun or changing their outline as protection from sharks?

Subantarctic and Antarctic Fur Seal

Three sightings of Fur Seals at sea in the work area were either Subantarctic or Antarctic. One swam away from the boat but one came close in and played around the cable over the side of the boat, occasionally jumping clear of the water. 2 just lazed in the water next to the port bow on. Several, of both species, onshore on Ile de la Possession.

Southern Elephant Seal

Some hauled out on the beach in Baie Americaine on 22/12. About 20 onshore on Ile de la Possession, quite loud and they didn’t seem to like you around but couldn’t be bothered to move out of their wallows to do anything about it.

Flying Fish

One on 4/11 when the SST was 21°C. Actually a beautiful creature with dark grey body and silvery wings and tailwings. Lots of smaller ones seen in >20°C water on the way back to and from Port Elizabeth, often in small schools. One found on deck on approach to Durban had landed on the afterdeck overnight.

Squid

One (presumably dead) one was seen about 50m out from the bridge. A Wandering Albatross soon passed and could clearly smell it as it started quartering the area before dropping down on it. Another dead one being eaten by a Wandering Albatross on 19/12.

List of species

King Penguin   Aptonodytes patagonicus
Gentoo Penguin   Pygoscelis papua
Rockhopper Penguin   Eudyptes chysocome
Macaroni Penguin   Eudyptes chrysolophus
African Penguin   Spheniscus demersus
Wandering Albatross   Diomedia [exulans] exulans
Northern Royal Albatross   Diomedia [epomophora] sanfordi
Southern Royal Albatross   Diomedia [epomophora] epomophora
Black-browed Albatross   Thalassarche melanophrys
Salvin’s Albatross   Thalassarche [cauta] salvini
Shy Albatross   Thalassarche [cauta] cauta
Grey-headed Albatross   Thalassarche chrysostoma
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross   Thalassarche [chlororhynchos] carteri
Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross   Thalassarche [chlororhynchos] chlororhynchos
Sooty Albatross   Phoebetria fusca
Light-mantled Sooty Albatross   Phoebetria palpebrata
Southern Giant Petrel   Macronectes giganteus
Northern Giant Petrel   Macronectes halli
Antarctic Fulmar   Fulmarus glacialoides
Cape Petrel   Daption capense
Great-winged Petrel   Pterodroma macroptera
White-headed Petrel   Pterodroma lessonii
Kerguelen Petrel   Pterodroma (or Aphrodroma or Lugensa) brevirostris
Soft-plumaged Petrel   Pterodroma mollis
Barau’s Petrel   Pterodroma baraui
Blue Petrel   Halobaena caerulea
Salvin’s Prion   Pachyptila salvini
Prion sp.   Pachyptila sp.
Slender-billed Prion   Pachyptila belcheri
Fairy Prion   Pachyptila turtur
White-chinned Petrel   Procellaria aequinoctialis
Grey Petrel   Procellaria cinerea
British Storm Petrel   Hydrobates pelagicus
Wilson’s Storm-petrel   Oceanites oceanicus
Grey-backed Storm-petrel   Oceanites nereis
Black-bellied Storm-petrel   Fregatta tropica
White-bellied Storm-petrel   Fregatta grallaria
South Georgian Diving-petrel   Pelecanoides georgicus
Common Diving-petrel   Pelecanoides urinatrix
Cory’s Shearwater   Calonectris diomedia
Great Shearwater   Puffinus gravis
Sooty Shearwater   Puffinus griseus
Flesh-footed Shearwater   Puffinous carneipes
Little Shearwater   Puffinus assimilis
Cape Gannet   Morus capensis
Crozet Shag   Phalacrocorax [atriceps] melanogenis
Black-faced Sheathbill   Chionis minor
Subantartic Skua   Catharacta [skua] antarctica
Arctic Skua   Stercorarious parasiticus
Long-tailed Skua   Stercorarious longicaudus
Cape Gull Larus [dominicanus] vetula
Sabine’s Gull   Larus sabini
Hartlaub’s Gull   Larus hartlaubii
Common Tern   Sterna hirundo
Sandwich Tern   Sterna sandvicensis
Swift Tern   Sterna bergii
Arctic Tern   Sterna paradisaea
Antarctic Tern   Sterna vittata
Kerguelen Tern   Sterna virgata
White-breasted Cormorant   Phalocrocorax [carbo] lucidus
Cape Cormorant   Phalocrocorax capensis
Eaton’s Pintail   Anas eatoni

Humpback Whale   Megaptera novaeangliae
Sperm Whale   Physeter macrocephalus
Whale Sp.
Southern Bottlenose Whale   Hyperoodon planifrons
Long-finned Pilot Whale   Globicephala melas
Pilot Whale sp. Globicephala sp.
Killer Whale   Orcinus orca
Dusky Dolphin   Lagenorhynchus obscurus
Bottlenose Dolphin   Tursiops truncatus
South African Fur Seal   Arctocephalus pusillus
Subantarctic and Antarctic Fur Seal   Arctocephalus tropicalis, Arctocephalus gazella
Southern Elephant Seal   Mirounga leonina
Flying Fish
Squid