Here's another very interesting news report about the sighting of the VERY rare Fiji Petrel - need to go find some pics of them plus I think I'll check out that "BirdLife International"
Rare Fiji petrel spotted at sea
From correspondents in Auckland, New Zealand
AAP
September 11, 2009 09:51am
AN extremely rare bird seen only a dozen times in the past 150 years has finally been spotted at sea.
But the news for the critically-endangered Fiji petrel is not good.
Even in optimal conditions - the best season, best location and using the most pungent-smelling bait - only eight birds have been sighted.
Fijians have long appreciated the rarity of the chocolate-coloured gull, featuring it on a bank note and protecting it under law.
Known for its elusiveness, it was first identified on Fiji's Gau island by British surveyors in 1855 and was not seen again for 130 years.
Since 1984 there have been a handful of reports of petrels injured after crashing into village roofs on Gau but never have the birds been seen at sea until now.
"Finding this bird and capturing such images was a fantastic and exhilarating experience," Hadoram Shirihai, who led the two-week search by the British Ornithologists' Club, said.
A paper published this week is the first ever to detail how the species behaves, with the team hoping it could hold the key to the bird's survival.
"The present evidence is that very few Fiji petrels survive and that immediate efforts to find the nest sites are needed," expedition member Tony Pym said.
"Prompt, effective protection is urgently required before it is too late."
The Fiji petrel is one of 192 bird species worldwide listed as critically endangered.
Jez Bird from BirdLife International said because the bird was exceptionally rare and extremely poorly known, any new data concerning range and abundance was vital to its conservation.