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In 1985, 5,967 kilometres of coast were patrolled and 28,304 dead seabirds were found, both new records for the Beach Patrol Scheme. A new species for the Scheme was a White-bellied Storm Petrel (
Fregetta grallaria). Ten
species were found in greater numbers in 1985 than in any previous year: Little Blue Penguin (
Eudyptula minor), Buller’s Mollymawk (
Diomedea bulleri), White-headed Petrel (
Pterodroma lessonii), Fairy Prion (
Pachyptila turtur), Fulmar Prion (
P. crassirostris). Fluttering Shearwater (
Puffinus gavia), Australasian Gannet (
Sula bassana), Pied Shag (
Phalacrocorax varius), Redbilled Gull (
Larus novaehollandiae scopulinus) and White-fronted Tern (
Sterna striata). The record numbers of Fairy Prions, Fulmar Prions and Fluttering Shearwaters were the result of wrecks of these species in August-September, mainly along the western and southern coasts of the North Island. A summary is given of the coastal and monthly distributions for most
Pterodroma species found during the 1960-1984 period. The most frequently found species was the White-headed Petrel, a result of 30-100 being found in spring of most years.