Figures 41–43 (top, left, right). Much effort and persistence were needed to determine that Murphy’s is the prevalent species of dark Pterodroma petrel in California’s far offshore waters. One of the first fruitful efforts was a 1 June 1986 excursion to Cordell Bank in Marin County, where four of these petrels were sketched, photographed, and studied at close range. These photos (Mike Danzenbaker) and the two rightmost sketches (Alan D. Barron) support CBRC record number 1986-404, involving an individual with a bill that was longer and heavier than that of the other birds seen that day (the two middle sketches illustrate record number 1986-403 and the left-most sketch illustrates 1986-401). This structural difference led some to believe that one or more Solander’s Petrels may have been involved, but that species’ occurrence in the state remains hypothetical.

 

 

 

MURPHY’S PETREL Pterodroma ultima Murphy, 1949

Accepted: 116 (95%)	Treated in Appendix H: no
Not accepted: 6	CBRC review: records through 1989
Not submitted/reviewed: 36	Color image: none

This petrel nests on islands in the south-central Pacific Ocean and ranges north to Hawaii and to waters well off the Pacific coast. Far off the coast of British Columbia, at least seven birds have been recorded on seven dates between 16 February and 8 July (fide R. Toochin). Washington adds records of 24 birds on 25 April 1992 and two on 31 August 1995; another four birds recorded between 2 May and 21 September are thought to have been Murphy’s or Solander’s Petrels (P. solandri). Oregon claims three specimen records of beached birds between 6 March and 15 June, plus four encounters with a total of 21 “dark petrels” far offshore, most in May but one on 19 September 1999 (Marshall et al. 2003). More recently, between 31 October and 2 November 2005, 13 Murphy’s were reported off the state’s southern coast (NAB 60:127).

Murphy’s Petrel presented a challenge for the CBRC because identification criteria for this species and similar congeners—particularly Solander’s Petrel (P. solandri), which remains a legitimate concern—were slow to develop. Indeed, many California sightings were initially believed to involve Solander’s, including some under review for more than five years (see also the Solander’s account in the hypothetical list). Were it not for the 15 June 1981 recovery of a beach-washed Murphy’s Petrel south of Newport, Oregon (USNM 571368), the positive identification of California birds might have been even slower. We now understand Murphy’s Petrel to be a routine visitor, particularly mid April through early June (Bailey et al. 1989), well offshore near the interface between warm waters of the North Pacific Gyre and cold waters of the California Current. Nearly all California records of dark Pterodroma petrels pertain to this species. Bailey et al. (1989) provided information about the identification, status, and distribution of Murphy’s Petrel, including three color photographs taken off central California on 30 April 1989 as well as details of the state’s first specimen, collected on 29 April 1989. The 98 birds recorded on this two-day trip precipitated the species’ immediate removal from the CBRC review list. Additional high counts include 100+ per day far off central California in April/May 1991 (AB 45:492) and 62 far off southern California 17–21 April 2003 (NAB 57:402).

Zimmer (1992) and Spear et al. (1992) also provided useful information on identifying Murphy’s Petrels.