WAYNE R. PETERSEN

This issue’s mystery photograph includes two birds, both of which are the same species. The long, narrow, bow-winged appearance of the mystery birds, and the fact that they are flying low over the water, suggest that they are almost certainly waterbirds. Spotted Sandpipers (Actitis macularius) in flight superficially offer a similar profile, but the mystery birds’ notably long, slim wings and apparent large size immediately eliminate a shorebird as a possibility.

A seabird, most notably a shearwater or perhaps even a sulid species (e.g., gannet or booby), is a more viable candidate, A sulid can be ruled out, however, because the mystery birds do not possess the long, thick neck, prominent pointed bill, or distinctive pointed tail of a sulid. A gull species can be eliminated because the mystery birds have narrow wings, and they are not as chunky and heavy-bodied as a gull.