PELAGICS
Fortune
hunters
With a host of migrant and breeding
seabirds, plus the presence of an
endemic storm-petrel, birding in the
deep Atlantic Ocean off the Azores was
always going to be exciting. Peter Alfrey
and Richard Bonser chart the recent
history of Azorean pelagics and the
search for specialities which led to the
RAFAEL ARMADA (WWW.RAFAELARMADA.NET)
discovery of the Bank of Fortune.
T
he nine Azorean islands
extend for 370 miles out in the
Atlantic, thrusting up from the
deep oceanic depths as some of the
tallest part-submerged mountains on
earth. The surrounding seas, through
subsequent varied topography and
PHOTOS: RICHARD BONSER
Praia Islet, Graciosa, is home to the recently split Monterios Storm-petrel, an Azorean endemic. It
breeds in summer, sometimes sharing the same nest with winter-breeding Grants Storm-petrel.
www.birdwatch.co.uk BirdwatchJuly 2014 57
numerous upwellings, provide rich
feeding grounds for a variety of migrant
seabirds, as well as a recently split
Azorean endemic, Monteiros Storm-
petrel.
Good views of these enigmatic birds
are often only possible by heading
This is a classic
Monteiros Storm-petrel,
photographed in mid-
summer when only this
species is present in
the region, showing an
obviously forked tail and
long-winged appearance
producing an overall
rakish structure.
out to sea to explore the deep waters
around the islands. And so began the
development of pelagic birding in the
Azores ...
Exploration begins
In 2007, PA and Simon Buckell
launched a serious of exploratory
trips in the deep waters off the Azores
in search of vagrant seabirds. There
had already been a few interesting
seabird sightings including Black-
browed Albatross and Black-capped
and Trindade Petrels mainly from
whale-watching boats around the
islands. It would clearly be worthwhile
to run specific trips for seabirds. The
first pelagics were wild cat expeditions
from various islands including Corvo,
Faial and Santa Maria, with seamounts,
banks and steep oceanic slopes targeted
as likely areas of upwelling in nutrient-
rich waters, where seabirds would
concentrate to feed.
Good numbers of Wilsons Storm-
petrel were discovered on these initial
trips, with more than 30 at the Azores
Bank off Faial in July 2007 and 70-80
there in September 2009. Regular
breeding species were also encountered,
including Barolo Shearwater, Bulwers
Petrel and Madeiran Storm-petrel,
PETER ALFREY
PELAGICS

PETER ALFREY
While the endemic storm-petrel was the main target, a variety of other A worn Monteiros Storm-petrel in heavy secondary moult. The
bird and mammal species have been recorded on the pelagics, including upperwing coverts and dishevelled carpal bar also indicate this bird is
Barolo Shearwater (above) and Spotted Dolphin (below) in worn plumage.

with a new breeding colony of this
last species, which breeds in winter,
discovered on Lagoinhas Islet off Santa
Maria. Two Feas-type Petrels were
also recorded. Overall, however, there
were no huge surprises.
Various forms of chum were
experimented with, and in the end
an adapted version of Hadoram
Shirihais petrel liquor turned out to
be the most successful (using liquid oil
instead of melted margarine), along
with sardine chum, drip lines and fish
oils. Tests with frozen blocks proved
problematic due to the comparatively
cool deep Atlantic temperature.
An Azorean endemic
In 2008, ground-breaking research
revealed that the summer-breeding
population of Madeiran Storm-petrel
on the Azores had evolved separately
from the winter-breeding birds, leading
to its recognition as a new species,
Monteiros Storm-petrel (Bolton et al
2008). Subtle differences in biometrics,
genetics, breeding ecology and
vocalisations (Robb et al 2008) were also
described, though to the field birder it is
extremely similar to other members of
the Madeiran Storm-petrel complex (see
Flood and Fisher 2011).
Due to the two populations breeding
at different times of year, the best way
to see either storm-petrel was simple:
visit a colony at the time of year when
only that species was present. In the
case of Monteiros Storm-petrel, this
would be in May and June.
Opportunities for birders to
encounter this little-known species
were limited by access restrictions to
the main breeding colony off Praia
Islet on Graciosa. Joining research
teams, who monitored the artificially
created nest burrows, was the only way.
RB was lucky enough to do this in July
2009, courtesy of Jol Bried, and he
was able to study the species at close

Ground-breaking research revealed that the summer-breeding

Madeiran Storm-petrels on the Azores had evolved separately
from winter-breeding birds

VINCENT LEGRAND

58 BirdwatchJuly 2014 www.birdwatch.co.uk

 Taken in early August when both
Monteiros and Grants Storm-
petrels are present, the birds
forked tail suggests the former.
However, Flood and Fisher
(2011) advise extreme caution
as there is much overlap in this
feature between taxa.
VINCENT LEGRAND
The fresh set of primaries and
secondaries indicates this is
either a juvenile Monteiros
Storm-petrel or an early adult
Grants Storm-petrel. Such
birds cannot be identified with
certainty on current knowledge,
and despite perceived structural
differences such as the less
notched tail and sturdier overall
appearance for Grants Storm-
petrel, a bird such as this is best
left unidentified.
VINCENT LEGRAND
www.birdwatch.co.uk BirdwatchJuly 2014 59
range, including adults and nestlings.
Remarkably, the two populations
use the same nests at times. Just as the
Monteiros Storm-petrels were fledging
and leaving their nest sites, the winter-
breeding birds (known as Grants
Storm-petrel, but not yet widely split)
were moving back in.
The waters around Graciosa were
the obvious area for pelagic exploration
to discover regular feeding areas to
see Monteiros Storm-petrels at sea. It
didnt take long. In fact, it happened
even before the formal description of
the species, as in May 2007, Killian
Mullarney and Magnus Robb not only
discovered Monteiros Storm-petrel at
sea to the south-east of Graciosa, but
also found a Black-capped Petrel. With a
renewed sense of purpose, PA returned
to the Azores for seabirding.
Surveying for storm-petrels
Armed with GPS co-ordinates
supplied by Killian Mullarney, PA
visited Graciosa in May 2010. Adverse
weather hampered the potential for
any prolonged period at sea, but even
limited searching turned up Monteiros
Storm-petrels in the same area as in
May 2007. The peaks and troughs of
the stormy sea also allowed the boat to
closely approach a Barolo Shearwater
very different from the usual view of a
bird flapping frantically away ahead of
a vessel.
Other than this close encounter,
however, that 2010 trip was pretty
much a mini-disaster. It was getting very
expensive, too, and with boat charter at
more than 500 per day, the only way
to make these expeditions cost effective
was to get more people on board. So PA
returned in June 2011 with a group of
12 birders, including RB. Unfortunately,
on the first evenings pelagic, any cost
savings on PAs part were more than
negated when he accidentally dropped
3,000 worth of camera equipment
overboard and it sank straight to the
bottom of the ocean.
The weather conditions in June 2011
were ideal for sailing, but this seemed
to have changed the behaviour of the
Monteiros Storm-petrels. Not many
birds could be found in close proximity
to the breeding area on Praia Islet, and
so a second target area the Bank of
Fortune, where fishermen had reported
lots of small black-and-white birds was
visited on the last day of the trip.
Lying 20 or so miles to the east of
Graciosa and providing numerous
upwellings suitable for feeding seabirds,
PELAGICS

it was still within easy reach. After a

few hours of observation, the team
saw more than 50 Monteiros Storm-
petrels and up to 15 Wilsons Storm-
petrels at close range. Also logged were
at least three Barolo Shearwaters, a
Grey Phalarope and four Great Skuas,
surprisingly lingering in Azorean waters
in early summer. A Sooty Tern was seen
on Praia Islet, where up to two birds
have been seen each year recently.
In 2011 the team was accompanied
a Portuguese film crew, who were
making a documentary called In Search
of Monteiros Storm-petrel. The film
has subsequently been watched by a
quarter of a million Portuguese not
a bad thing for raising the profile of
this Azores endemic and conserving its
breeding habitat.

Good Fortune
The last day of the June 2011 pelagic
trip established one thing: the Bank
of Fortune was the place to locate
storm-petrels at sea off the coast of
Graciosa. With the world population of
Monteiros Storm-petrel conservatively
estimated at 250 birds, and all of these

breeding off Graciosa, the draw of
guaranteed sightings of this species
would inevitably inspire interest from
birders. However, it was important to hit
this seabird hot-spot at times that would
maximise chances of connecting with
vagrants and passage seabirds, too.
The obvious choice was to go in the
August-September period the overlap
time of year between the hot-season
and cool-season breeding populations,
allowing both Monteiros and Grants
Storm-petrels to be seen together. As
well as trying to identify these two
closely related species at sea on the basis
of wing moult, there was also the real
potential of vagrant seabirds.
The teams pelagic efforts were
therefore concentrated on the Bank of
Fortune, running three separate trips
with a total of 12 days at sea in early
August 2012, late August 2013 and early
September 2013. As well as gaining
excellent views of Monteiros Storm-
petrel, each of the three trips recorded
a Swinhoes Storm-petrel. This Pacific
breeder perhaps represents just the tip of
the iceberg, and despite the impressive
haul so far (in only four trips to the areas),
the best is surely yet to come.
Also outstanding was the discovery
of a Zinos Petrel in the same area.
The identification confirmed by Bob
Flood, this is one of few sight records
of this species away from waters around
HARRO MLLER
The identification of this Zinos Petrel in Azorean Waters at the Bank of Fortune was confirmed
by Flood and Fisher (2013). Geolocator studies have revealed that the birds disperse widely into
the North Atlantic from their breeding grounds in Madeira.
Madeira, its sole breeding location, and hot-spot based on past records and
confirms geolocator studies which reveal geolocator studies, so with Zinos and
that it disperses into Azorean waters. Feas Petrels already recorded, it may
These same studies also show that only be a matter of time until Bermuda,
Bermuda Petrels regularly move Black-capped or Trindade Petrels are
into Azorean waters, and it is hoped also seen on these trips.
that future expeditions will connect
with this species. Bermuda Petrel has Acknowledgements
already been recorded on the Azores: Many thanks to Bob Flood for
an individual was famously captured improvements to the text of this article.
and recaptured in a burrow on several
occasions in November 2002, November Azores pelagics
2003 and December 2006. The best way to see Monteiros and
As more birders and pelagic trips Grants Storm-petrels, as well as other
focus on the Bank of Fortune and seabirds on the Azores, is to join an
beyond, the team is hopeful of further organised pelagic. The authors are
significant records. Bob Flood and running a trip this year from 24-29
Ashley Fisher have identified the Azores August; for more details contact PA at
as the north-east Atlantics Pterodroma littleoakgroup@btinternet.com.
REFERENCES
Bolton, M, Smith, A L, Gomez-Diaz, E, Friesen, V L, Medeiros, R, Bried, J, Roscales, J L, and Furness, R W.
2008. Monteiros Storm Petrel Oceanodroma monteiroi: a new species from the Azores. Ibis 150: 717-727.
Flood, B, and Fisher, A. 2011. North Atlantic Seabirds: storm-petrels & Bulwers Petrel. Pelagic Birds and
Birding Multimedia Identification Guides, Scilly.
Flood, B, and Fisher, A. 2013. North Atlantic Seabirds: Pterodroma Petrels. Pelagic Birds and Birding
Multimedia Identification Guides, Scilly.
Howell, S G, Patteson, J B, Sutherland, K, and Shoch, D T. 2010. Occurrence and identification of the
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma castro) complex off North Carolina. North American Birds 64:
196-207.
Monteiro, L R, and Furness, R W. 1998. Speciation through temporal segregation of Band-rumped Storm
Petrel (Oceanodroma castro) populations in Azores? Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 353: 845-953.
Robb, M, Mullarney, K, and The Sound Approach. 2008. Petrels Night and Day. The Sound Approach, Poole.

60 BirdwatchJuly 2014 www.birdwatch.co.uk