Publications Archive

The presence of the Australian white-browed wood swallow in N.Z. is described together with the possible sighting of a masked wood swallow. Both are new records for New Zealand.

The range of the Kerguelen petrel (Pterodroma brevirostris) is outlined and extensions into the South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, based on observations from the ships Eltanin and Eastwind, are documented, suggesting a nearly circumpolar movement. “At sea” characters of flight pattern, plumage appearance and foot colour are noted.

A preliminary analysis of bird lists from Otago suggests that during the breeding season pipits (Anthus novaeseelandiae) are absent from areas with a mean annual rainfall of under 30 inches (767 mm). Skylarks (Alauda arvensis) seem less affected by low rainfall and are abundant even where the mean annual rainfall is as low as 13 in. (330 mm). Some factors possibly influencing these correlations are discussed.

Head and neck anatomy in the wrybill (Anarhynchus frontalis) are described from a spirit specimen and a skeleton. In most respects, the wrybill closely resembles plovers of the genus Charadrius. Careful examination has failed to reveal any asymmetry other than that of the bill. Apart from the bill shape, and a gape situated unusually far forward, the main peculiarity of the wrybill is a bony bridge between the two ventral bars of the upper jaw, mentioned by Lowe (1931). The significance of this structure in relation to bill asymmetry is discussed. An analysis of the stomach contents of the spirit specimen is given.