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 Martin van Rooyen, Jake Letori and Maria Bielsa have reported a white-tailed brown morph Red-footed Booby Sula sula at Aldabra. The bird was seen while conducting a frigatebird census at Grande Poche near Main Channel on 26 February 2020. The first reference to the presence of this morph at Aldabra was of "three or four" sightings in a 1974 paper (Diamond, A.W., 1974. The Red-footed Booby at Aldabra. Ardea 62). Michael Betts, Research Officer at Aldabra 1999-2000 and a current member of SBRC also reported very small numbers present and he suspected breeding.
In the Indian Ocean most colonies are entirely white morph, except at Europa (98.5% white-tailed brown morph, 1.5% white morph) and Tromelin (c. one-third white-tailed brown, two-thirds white). This suggests that colonies do not constitute one gene pool but are isolated from each other. However, in recent years, white-tailed brown morphs have also begun to breed at Farquhar, now constituting about 2% of the population. Breeding at Aldabra remains unproven, but the presence of an adult in bright (breeding?) plumage suggests this may be the case.
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 Photos for first sighting: Norman Pettigrew  Photos for second sighting: Martin van Rooyen SBRC has received two reports of Yellow-billed Kite Milvus aegyptius at Aldabra. The first was seen on 8 February 2020 by Cheryl Sanchez, Norman Pettigrew, other SIF staff and passengers from the cruiseship Serenissima. It perched in a tall Casuarina at the Old Settlement, Picard. The second sighting by Martin van Rooyen, Maria Bielsa and Luke A'Bear was at the frigatebird colony, Malabar camp on 24 and 25 February 2020.
SBRC has accepted 8 previous records of this species, including six at Aldabra and one at neighbouring Assumption. SBRC has also accepted 4 records of Black Kite M. migrans. Yellow-billed kite is the Afrotropic counterpart of Black Kite of which it is sometimes considered a subspecies. However, DNA studies suggest that these should be considered as separate species. In addition, Yellow-billed Kite races aegyptius and parasitus may be split from the Eurasian migratory Black Kite because of the former’s small size, usually yellow bill, deeper tail-fork and less streaked plumage.  Indian Pond-heron at La Digue (D. C. Jardine) An Indian Pond-heron Ardeola grayii has been reported by David Jardine, present at a small pond near L'Union Estate, La Digue on 23 February 2020. SBRC has accepted just 6 previous records of this species.  Visitor meets local: Indian Pond-heron and Common Moorhen at La Digue (D.C. Jardine)  Little Swift (Bronwyn Dunlop). A Little Swift Apus affinis was found on 2 February 2020 soaked and in a weakened state on the ground near th guest pavilion, Cousine by Stuart and Bronwyn Dunlop. It was taken indoors to assess its health and after about 30 minutes it showed some signs of recovery and was released. It flew off heading towards Cousin Island.
This is the second sighting of this species in Seychelles so far this year following four at St Francois on 21 January. SBRC has acceped 10 previous records. |
AuthorAdrian Skerrett Categories |
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