The crested grebe Podiceps cristatus australis is a rare bird in New Zealand, now confined to the South Island. It was formerly present on a few of the large North Island lakes; there is a subfossil record from a Maori midden, carbondated to A.D. 945, and more recent observations – from the period 1870–1900 of breeding populations on Lakes Waikareiti and Waikaremoana. In Nelson-Marlborough crested grebes were formerly found on Lakes Rotoroa and Rotoiti; they were possibly first seen in New Zealand and identified on Lake Rotoroa in 1846 by Heaphy, and certainly observed and correctly identified at these lakes by Haast in 1860. They have disappeared as breeding birds from the lakes some time during the last 15–20 years. There is a sub-fossil grebe from Lake Grassmere, Marlborough, possibly from a Maori midden. Today there are no longer crested grebes in the North Island or in Nelson-Marlborough, northern South Island.
The banded dotterel (Charadrius bicinctus) is a short-distance migrant, breeding in New Zealand and wintering in some numbers in Australia. This study was done to check the hypothesis that the flight feathers are renewed before autumn migration and to determine the timing of the body moult. It is concluded that the flight feathers are renewed on or near the breeding grounds coinciding with the pre-basic body moult which is complete. The pre-alternate moult occurs on the wintering grounds and is incomplete, involving the body feathers only. A comparative table is given showing sequence of plumages.
The spur-winged plover (Lobibyx novaehollandiae) is an Australian species, self-introduced to New Zealand in 1932 and now established as a breeding species in Southland and parts of Otago. Its establishment and present distribution are outlined. The method of spread in five different localities is demonstrated. Local movement is described.
Counts of grey (Anas superciliosa), mallard (A. platyrhynchos) and hybrid ducks were made on 500 yards of the Avon River and Lakes Victoria and Albert between 16 April and 18 July 1967. During the pre-shooting season (16 April to 5 May) duck numbers rose steadily from about 1150 to 1800. Numbers continued to rise about the same rate during the first five days of the shooting season (6 May to 11 May). During the remainder of the season (12 May to 5 June) the numbers remained about 2200. During the post-shooting season (6 June to 5 July) the numbers declined during the first 14 days to about 1300 and then remained about this level. The increase in numbers during the shooting season was significantly different from both the pre-shooting and post-shooting numbers. The latter were not significantly different from each other. Flight patterns, feeding habits and behaviour during the shooting season are discussed.