Trindade Petrel Pterodroma arminjoniana is a rare annual visitor to the Gulf Stream off the southeastern United States, so we felt very fortunate to encounter this individual some 25 miles off of Cape Hatteras on August 8, 2010. We were on a pelagic birding trip run by Brian Patteson, so many thanks go to Brian and crew for finding this excellent bird.
This map shows the location where we encountered this bird (34.83068320 N, 75.27767220 W), just beyond the edge of the Continental Shelf. The water temperature in the Gulf Stream was approximately 86 degrees Fahrenheit!
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Trindade Petrel nests in the South Atlantic on Trindade and Martim Vaz archipelago, 1200 km off the coast of Brazil. Population estimates vary wildly, from 1,100 to 15,000 individuals. BirdLife International considers the conservation status of Trindade Petrel to be Vulnerable, as the breeding population is susceptible to predation and disturbance by introduced mammals such as pigs, cats and goats. Fortunately, the Brazilian Navy has eradicated these species from Trindade and the petrels now enjoy full protection under Brazilian law.
Trindade Petrel is a polychromatic species, with light, dark and intermediate morphs occurring. This is a dark morph. Light morphs have pale underparts. Note the extensive whitish markings on the underwing, especially on the primaries and primary coverts.
The fast and impetuous dynamic soaring flight style of Pterodroma petrels make them a challenge to photograph, even when they linger around the boat for a minute or two as this bird did. All photos were taken with a Nikon D300s and Nikkor 300mm f2.8 with 1.4x converter.
