Mike Greenfelder, a naturalist with Lindblad Expeditions
, sent these three video grab images taken last month near Brava (Decimal coordinates 14.8507°, -24.705°) in the Sotavento (southern island group) of the Cape Verdes.The bird appears to be an intermediate-morph Trindade Petrel, Pterodroma arminjoniana. However, as Mike points out, Atlantic Petrel Pterodroma incerta is quite similar in overall patterning but shows less extensive white on the 'hand' of the underwing. Typically this is limited to a silvery sheen on the bases of the primaries. Furthermore, the bill does not strike me as chunky enough, nor the head rounded enough for Atlantic. Trindade Petrel nests in Brazilian waters and ranges regularly into Gulf Stream waters off east coast of the United States. In addition, there are at least two records from the Azores (18th July 1997 and 17th May 2006).
Here are the pertinent comments from his email: "On Sept. 30 [2008] we were in Zodiacs 0.5 miles south of the southern tip of Brava Island in the Cape Verde group. We were watching Melon-headed whales in flat seas when a very interesting petrel flew around us. I didn't have a camera but our video guy shot video of it. I made a few stills, which I have attached. To me it looked like an Atlantic Petrel, but with white underwings. Trinidade Petrel is the best I have come up with, but there doesn't seem to be anything similar in range, so obviously an interesting sighting. Looks similar to Herald Petrel drawings, but I have heard that Atlantic may show some white in underwing with wear."
