Seabird sightings in Ghana and Ivorycoast

Original provider:
Marijke de Boer

Dataset credits:
Marijke N. de Boer

Abstract:
We recorded birds in the waters off Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire during two surveys, totalling 104 days, in April–May 2013 and March–May 2014. Several species were observed for which there are few or no previous records for either country, with Sooty Shearwater Ardenna grisea and Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris borealis being new for Ghana, and Leach’s Storm-petrel Hydrobates leucorhous, White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus, Cory’s Shearwater and Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus for Côte d’Ivoire. Our sightings suggest that several seabird species considered vagrants or rare visitors may occur more frequently in Ghanaian and Ivorian waters than previously thought.