Least Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma microsoma), Houghton Road between Rita Road and Jumping Cholla, East Tucson, Pima County

This Least Storm-Petrel was found and photographed by Brian Gibbons on 07 September 2016

Hurricane Newton formed roughly 220 mi southwest of Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico on 4 Sep 2016 and reached Arizona on 7 Sep 2016, bringing with it several notable species, including three species new to Arizona and one even new to the ABA area! This storm officially reached hurricane strength winds late on 5 Sep 2016 and reached peak intensity with wind speeds of 90 mph shortly before making landfall at Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Newton moved north and weakened over the Baja California Peninsula. The eyewall fell apart before it made a second landfall, after crossing the Gulf of California, near Bahia Kino, Sonora where it weakened to tropical storm status. Early afternoon on 7 Sep it crossed into Arizona in a weakened state. Despite the weakened state of the storm it managed to bring 5 species of “tubenoses” to Arizona, typically associated with stronger storms. Clearly we have a lot to learn about how hurricanes affect birds in our area! To see a track of the storm see here and to see windspeeds see here. For more information on the last tropical storm to bring tubenoses to Arizona, Nora, see here.

Multiple Least Storm-Petrels (5+) were reported during the hurricane including several in the vicinity of this individual, these represent first county records for Pima. The species is common around Baja California and in the Gulf of California. It has previously been brought to the interior southwest after tropical storms including the three prior records in Arizona. Two records are from the LCRV: two at Davis Dam after Kathleen (1976) which brought thousands of Least Storm-Petrels to the Salton Sea, California and 100+ on Lake Havasu after Nora (1997), as well as one prior southeast Arizona record at Patagonia Lake after Lester (1992). The Salton Sea has one summer record that is not related to any tropical storm. 

Small storm-petrel, note small "tubenose" on bill. Small size, all dark plumage, long graduated, wedge shape tail not in molt identify this species versus all other storm-petrels.

This individual was observer flying over the road before being hit by a car where the specimen was salvaged and will go to a proper museum.

07 September 2016, photo by Brian Gibbons

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