Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) Found Slightly North of Range

Observation by Minnie Roberts:

Have never seen this bird out in the bay.

Observation by Harold Okitkun:

We came across 2 of these birds at the mouth of the Pastolik River on the 11th of JUly 2018. No pictures but I recognize the bird from you photo. Same exact looking bird. They looked like they couldn't fly when we approached them in my skiff, until they faced the wind and took off like a kite.

Kathy Kuletz, Seabird Coordinator for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service writes:

Its hard to be certain from these photos, but from the bill size I'd say its a Sooty Shearwater. Both Short-tailed and Sooty Shearwaters occur in the Bering Sea, although Sooty Shearwaters are not usually that far north (near Good News Bay); they tend to be more common in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutians. Its also early in the season for shearwaters to be north of the Aleutians area, although within a few weeks they will be one of the most abundant seabirds throughout the Bering Sea, and in late summer in the Chukchi as well. These species breed on islands off of New Zealand and Australia.

I just returned from a survey on the R/V Sikuliaq, and on June 3, large numbers of Sooty and Short-tailed Shearwaters were aggregated near Unimak Pass, but very few were north of the Dutch Harbor area. I only saw one Short-tailed Shearwater in the northern Bering, and not until 23 June. Shearwaters are typically offshore, although they might come into bays in poor weather or looking for food. They are sometimes caught in gillnets (they often feed on the surface, but can also dive fairly deep), so perhaps that is how they got this bird? Knowing the date and circumstances of how this bird was caught would be helpful for our records.

If this bird was simply picked up on the water, it was likely not doing well - either starving or impacted by toxins (such as PSP) or disease. There have been reports of dead or ill seabirds onshore in the northern Bering Sea and Bering Strait region. So far none of the dead birds have tested positive for diseases, but tests for exposure to toxins take longer and are still underway. I recommend using caution.

In May and June of this year, dead seabirds were found washed up on the beaches on St. Lawrence Island, Shishmaref, and east Norton Sound. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking for the public to report dead birdsby calling the USFWS office in Anchorage at 866-527-3358. They are asking observers to take photos with their cell phones, and collect the date, location, species, and number of birds observed.

To ensure your safety:

• Do not eat birds that have died from unknown causes.

• Wear rubber gloves when picking up dead birds.

• Wash hands in warm soapy water to prevent infection through cuts in your skin or from touching your mouth.

• Wash or throw away your gloves after use.