Publications Archive

A search was made throughout the Auckland Islands between November 1972 and February 1973 during the joint N.Z. Government/U.S. National Science Foundation Expedition. Although efforts were particularly concentrated on the northern and more sheltered coast of Adams Island where the species was last collected in 1902, the regretful conclusion is that the population has indeed disappeared.

Identifications of moa bones from 25 North Island, 2 D’Urville Island, 38 South Island and 2 Stewart Island archaeological sites are tabulated. In North Island sites the most widely represented genus is Dinornis, known from the north of the North Auckland peninsula to the Wellington area, followed in decreasing order of representation (though not necessarily of abundance at any one site) by Pachyornis, Euryapteryx and Anomalopteryx. In South Island sites Euryapteryx is the predominant genus, followed in decreasing order of abundance by Emeus, Dinornis, Pachyornis, Anomalopteryx and Megalapteryx. Dinornis, common all along the South Island east coast before the arrival of Man, is not known from archaeological sites on this coast north of Christchurch. Man was probably responsible for the final extinction of at least the larger moas, though natural causes may have con- tributed to a general decline in numbers.

This account discusses how to record natural sounds in the field, outlines a history of bird sound recordings and compares recording equipment used over the years since 1889 with what is used to-day. Uses of bird recordings are discussed, and a discography of recordings commercially available of the songs of New Zealand birds is added.

The results of a combined Wildlife Service/OSNZ visit to Farewell Spit, the northwestern point of the South Island, from 7 to 14 March 1974 are given. The objects were (a) to make an accurate count of the main waders, (b) to see what rare species were present and in what numbers and (c) to make an accurate count of black swan.

A list of 95 species, including past records with their appropriate references, is given. New records are Canada goose (1), paradise duck (15), large sand dotterel (4), lesser yellowlegs (1) and rock pigeon (1). Counts for waders were: South Island pied oystercatcher, 8619 and 7407; variable oystercatcher, 74 black; golden plover, 16, 15, 14; NZ dotterel, 8; banded dotterel, 1134 and 1624; Mongolian dotterel, 4; large sand dotterel, 4; wrybill, 1; curlew, 22; Asiatic whimbrel, 23; little whimbrel, 1; bar-tailed godwit, 13492 and 12215; lesser yellowlegs, 1; greenshank, 2; turnstone, 1334 and 1879; knot, 18700 and 16143; sharp-tailed sandpiper, 5; curlew sandpiper, 3; red-necked stint, 28; sanderling, 2 and pied stilt, 20. The count of black swan on 12 March 1974 was 13678.

Seven species of birds are newly recorded from the Snares Islands, New Zealand. They include the Australian gannet, white-faced heron, white heron, eastern bar-tailed godwit, skylark, grey warbler, and South Island fantail. There are now 53 species recorded of which 22 are breeding on the islands. Records of 32 species include departure and arrival dates of some of the sea birds and observations of winter activities of other birds.