Black Bellied Storm-petrel: Madeira 1st Record

Today, during our Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition in Oceanodroma a Black Bellied Storm-petrel Fregetta tropica was seen and photographed briefly. This bird didn't stay with us more than one minute flying over the slick. During this trip Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis, European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus and Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus were seen.

"Neither Black-bellied Storm-petrel nor White-bellied Storm-petrel has been positively identified in the northeast Atlantic. There are three sight records of unidentified Fregettas in the northeast Atlantic. All three descriptions in our opinion suggest white-bellied birds. Records fall in the period mid-August to mid-December: about 500 miles north of Cape Verde mid-August 1986, off Norfolk (UK) 10th December 2007, and in the Severn estuary (UK) 25th November 2009. We include the Norfolk sighting having read the description, although it was judged ‘not proven’ to be a Fregetta storm-petrel by British Birds Rarities Committee." (excerpt from Multimedia ID Guide to North Atlantic Storm-petrels & Bulwer's Petrel, Bob Flood & Ashley Fisher, www.scillypelagics.com)