Process for at sea identification in the feae-complex applied to a petrel observed off the Isles of Scilly

Abstract

The feae-complex comprises the three taxa of petrel Cape Verde Fea's Pterodroma f. feae, Desertas Fea's P. f. desertae, and Zino's P. madeira, breeding on the Cape Verde Islands, Desertas Islands, and Madeira Island, respectively (Mathews 1934; Bourne 1983). At-sea identification (ID) of these three cryptic taxa is challenging. A petrel belonging to this complex was observed from a boat off the Isles of Scilly, SW England, on 16 August 2015. An excellent series of photographs document the sighting and key ones reproduced below permit detailed examination of the petrel's characteristics and assessment of its ID.