Seabird sightings from offshore Republic of Congo

Summary

The occurrence of seabirds in Congo waters is poorly known and therefore we recorded the daily presence of seabirds during a geophysical survey. The most commonly encountered seabird species included small migratory terns: Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea), Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), West African Crested Tern (Thalasseus albididorsalis) and Wilson’s storm-petrel (Oceanites oceanicus). Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) and Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) were also recorded. Unusual visits of a land birds were also recorded, including green-backed (mangrove) heron (Butorides striata), an African Paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone viridis) and an African Green Pigeon (Treron calvus).