New records of Blue Petrel Halobaena caerulea in Uruguay

Abstract

Summary. We report five new records of Blue Petrel Halobaena caerulea in Uruguay; three individuals were found stranded on the coast in 2005, 2016 and 2018, and two were recorded at sea in the economic exclusive zone in 2021 and 2022. These few records suggest that the species' presence in Uruguayan waters is no more than occasional. However, its similarity to, and association with prions, together with the fact that this petrel does not usually approach fishing vessels, could mean that it is under-recorded.