Publications Archive

The anatomy of the tongues of five sea birds, the blue petrel (Halobaena caerulea), the grey-backed storm petrel (Garrodia nereis), the black-bellied storm petrel (Fregetta tropica) , the white-capped mollymawk (Diomedea cauta cauta), and the Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) is described and illustrated.

The reliability of sexing and ageing starlings in Canterbury from plumage characters was examined. Males were sexed without error and females almost so (98.7%). Birds in adult plumage were classified as first year or older, and all of known age fell into the correct group.

The seasonal patterns of the abundance of petrels and other birds at sea in the western Bay of Plenty, as observed in 1968 and 1969, are described and correlated with the existing data on breeding places and seasons. Inferences on seasonal migrations and on the feeding range of several species are drawn, and flocking and feeding behaviour are described.

The laughing owl (Sceloglaux albifacies), one of the two owls native to New Zealand, was once widely-distributed but is now close to extinction – if not already so. It began to disappear in the North Island in the early 19th century or before, and rapidly became scarce in the South Island after about 1880. It has not been “officially” seen since 1914, though persistent reports of its continued presence in parts of the South Island are still received. The species’ appearance, calls, behaviour, food habits and breeding biology are described and speculations made about the reasons for its disappearance.