Publications Archive

Eighty-six New Zealand dotterel (Charadrius obscurus) have been individually banded with metal and colour bands between 1950 and 1977 in the Auckland district. Subsequent sightings of banded birds show that some move considerably within a limited range and that others are fairly sedentary. The recovery history of the most interesting cases is given in outline. The oldest-known bird, a male, is over 26 years. A female was recorded breeding within her first year.

Seabirds seen during a yacht voyage from Auckland, New Zealand, to Lautoka, Fiji, between 30 April and 7 May 1977, and during the return voyage to Whangarei between 22 May and 1 June are listed. Field characters of Pterodromas and storm petrels are illustrated.

Incubation temperatures of the North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx australis mantelli) were studied by telemetry methods. Using the equipment described, the temperature was found to be 37.0°C on the upper surface of the egg in contact with the male’s brood patch and 35.0°C at an approximate embryo depth within the egg. Using the temperatures obtained and to test the observation that the eggs are not turned, artificial incubation of a kiwi egg was successfully carried out.

A transect through pastoral land, from Foxton on the coast to Palmerston North inland, was traversed regularly by car. Counts of most birds except finches, showed starlings to be commonest in the area, followed by white-backed magpies and southern black-backed gulls. There was little seasonal variation in starlings for 1974 but an apparent increase in numbers during 1975. Magpies, gulls, Australasian harriers and pukeko were seen less often during spring than at other times of year, whereas blackbirds and welcome swallows were more frequently counted in spring or summer. Fewer starlings, blackbirds, and kingfishers were seen near the coast than elsewhere, while magpies and harriers were most abundant near the coast and less frequent inland.