The presence of pelagic birds on the coast of São Paulo is influenced by the distance from the edge of the continental plataform (more than 200 km) and by the dynamics of the Current of Brazil (the “blue water”, hot and much salinity) and the Falklands Current (cold with more nutrients).
Most pelagic birds in our region come from sub-Antarctic islands such as the Falklands, South Georgia, Gough, Innaccessible, Tristan da Cunha, etc., and Patagonia. This makes winter (May to September) the season where species like the “Yellow-nosed-Albatross”, “Black-browed Albatross”, “Chilean Skua”, “Southern Giant Petrel”, “Black Pardela”, Magellanic Penguin, etc. are most likely to be seen. There are also some species that migrate between the South Atlantic and the North, such as “Alma-de-mestre”, “Mandrião-do-Sul” and “Bobo-escuro”.
The best years are those in which a cold current from Patagonia covers the continental shelf to São Paulo. On these occasions, such as in 2016, hundreds of albatrosses could be seen very close to the coast. In deeper waters and farther from the coast (from the 100m isobath) it is more likely to find species such as the “Pardela-de-spectacles”, “Pomba-do-cabo” (Cape-dove), “Grazina-de-barriga-mole” e “Grazina-mole”. Regional rarities such as pheasants and large albatrosses (“Tristão”, “Errante”, “Real”) are more likely in these waters.
The intermediate months (April to May and October to November) have the passage of migrants who travel between the North and South Atlantic, such as “Alma-de-mestre”, “Mandrião-do-sul”, “Bobo-Pequeno”, “Bobo-grande-de-sobre-branco “, “Mandrião-pomarino”, “Bobo-grande”, etc. We still know a little about the best time to observe them.
During the summer time (December to March) the presence of pelagics in coast waters decreases considerably, but species such as “Yellow-nosed-Albatross” and migrants such as “Bobo-Pequeno” and “Bobo-grande-de- over-dark” are possible. At that time, the most further waters from the coast are more productive for these sea birds.
Author: Fábio Olmos
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