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Genetics of polymorphism in the little shag

Notornis, 34 (1), 51-57

J.E. Dowding; M.J. Taylor (1987)

Article Type: Paper

A genetic model is presented to explain plumage polymorphism in the little shag (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos brevirostris). Parent-offspring data from an Auckland colony show that expression of the three morphs (white-throated, smudgy and pied) is primarily controlled by two alleles at a single genetic locus. The allele specifying ‘dark’ (D) shows incomplete dominance over that specifying ‘pied’ (6). Comparison of morph frequencies with calculated genotype frequencies reveals that about 40% of white-throated birds are homozygous dominant (DD), the rest of the white-throated birds and all smudgy birds are heterozygous (Dd), and pied birds are homozygous recessive (dd). The population mates non-assortively and the Hardy-Weinberg law correctly predicts the frequencies of black and pied offspring from crosses. Morph frequencies (and allele ratios) show a gradient from north to south in New Zealand, dark birds being more common in the south. The main factor maintaining this cline may be climatic.

Notes on the birds, reptiles and mammals of Tongatapu and ‘Eua (Tonga)

Notornis, 34 (3), 217-223

B.J. Gill (1987)

Article Type: Paper

During 13 days on Tongatapu and 9 days on ‘Eua (Kingdom of Tonga) I noted 16 and 20 species of birds respectively. I collected 5 species of reptile on Tongatapu and 3 on ‘Eua. Two species of ectoparasite from a Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) were identified.

The food of the white-rumped swiftlet (Aerodramus spodiopygius) in Fiji

Notornis, 33 (1), 1-16

M.K. Tarburton (1986)

Article Type: Paper

Diptera (flies), Homoptera (planthoppers), Hymenoptera (social insects), Isoptera (termites), and Coleoptera (beetles) were the most numerous prey in 32 food boluses being delivered by parent white-rumped swiftlets (Aerodramus spodiopygius) to their chicks inside two Fijian caves. Numerically the main food items were flies (37%) and planthoppers (33%). Both the season and the habitat over which the birds had been feeding seemed to determine whether flies or planthoppers predominated in a particular bolus sample. Flies predominated in the prey of swiftlets foraging over open country, whereas planthoppers predominated in the prey of swiftlets foraging over both forest and open country. The number of insects in each food bolus ranged from 47 to 750 (mean = 236). The average weight of a bolus was 0.225 g (range 0.1- 0.43 g). The average length of all prey was 2.48 mm, which is larger than the average length of available prey (1.63 mm). The number of prey species ranged from 2 to 83 (mean = 30 per bolus). Altogether, 167 species were recorded in food boluses. The white-rumped swiftlet bred during the wet season, when insects were more abundant. This study, along with others (largely unpublished) shows for the first time that flies are often the most common insect in the prey of swifts, swiftlets and swallows.

The sexual dimorphism of Snares Cape pigeons (Daption capense australe)

Notornis, 33 (4), 259-263

P.M. Sagar (1986)

Article Type: Paper

The males of Snares Cape pigeons (Daption capense australe) breeding at the Snares Islands are larger than females, especially in head plus bill length, mid-toe plus claw, bill length, bill depth, tarsus, and weight. By using the measurements head plus bill length and mid-toe plus claw, one can reliably sex about 82% of the Snares Islands birds. The amount of sexual dimorphism is similar in both races of cape pigeon. The importance of having a wide range of calls during breeding is favoured as the reason for dimorphism having developed in fulmarine petrels.

Birds of the Solander Islands

Notornis, 33 (2), 77-89

W.J. Cooper; C.M. Miskelly; K. Morrison, K.; R.J. Peacock (1986)

Article Type: Paper

Birds observed on the Solander Islands 25-27 July 1985 are discussed in relation to previous records from the islands. Black shag, banded rail, song thrush and greenfinch have not been reported previously. Solander Island had a major colony of Buller’s mollymawk, with an estimated 4000-5000 pairs. A further 300 pairs bred on Little Solander Island, which also had a large colony of common diving petrels. On Little Solander, New Zealand’s southernmost gannet colony, were 20-10 Australasian gannets. Red-crowned parakeets seem to have displaced yellow-crowned parakeets on the Solander Islands since 1948. The faunal relationships of the Solander Islands are discussed, as is the apparent effect of predation by introduced weka on Solander Island.

An early account of some birds from Mauke, Cook Islands, and the origin of the “mysterious starling” Aplonis mavornata Buller

Notornis, 33 (4), 197-208

S.L. Olson (1986)

Article Type: Paper

Overlooked manuscript notes made by Andrew Bloxam during the voyage of HMS Blonde detail his observations of birds on the island of Mauke, southern Cook group, on 9 August 1825, nearly 150 years before birds were again collected on the island. These notes establish that the unique type of the “mysterious starling” Aplonis mavornara Buller, a valid species previously of unknown origin and now extinct, was one of the three specimens collected on Mauke by Bloxam. The other two, which have not yet been located, if they still exist, were the kingfisher Halcyon tuta mauke and the fruit dove Ptilinopus rarotongensis cf. goodwini, the latter otherwise unknown on Mauke and probably now extinct there.
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