SPECIES ACCOUNTS 
Wedge-tailed Shearwater ( 66 + 3 nocturnal) 
From an almost total absence in August 1966 (1 sighting), this 
species has steadily increased. Throughout this period, however, 
dark phase birds have consistently been noted north of the grid 
area. All sightings during the present cruise were of dark phase 
southern hemisphere birds. The majority were recorded in mixed 
feeding flocks south of Baker Island on 20 November, Approximately 
4 
the same density was recorded for the snecies- during November 19o5, 
Sooty Shearwater (6+1 nocturnal) 
Slender-billed Shearwater (222 + 4 nocturnal) 
Sooty/Slender-billed Shearwater (106 + X nocturnal) 
Without much doubt the vast majority of birds of this bi-species 
♦ 
complex were Slender-billed Shearwaters. These v/ere predominant 
throughout the entire fall 1966 migration with only a few individ¬ 
uals referrable to Sooty Shearwaters. After a great migration in¬ 
flux of these species during September, a lull seemingly occurred 
during October when less than 100 birds were recorded. The con¬ 
siderable rise in numbers during the present cruise is unusual 
compared to the 1965 migration in that after the great September 
9 
1965 horde passed through, numbers decreased steadily until the 
migration period ended. Only small to medium-sized flocks were 
noted during the present cruise and a considerable number of single 
birds were recorded. A few individuals were noted feeding# 
