Weights and body measurements from 258 male and 203 female adult (>1 year) and juvenile (<1 year) grey duck (Anas superciliosa), were collected from freshly-shot specimens in May 1974 and 1975 at sites in North Island, New Zealand. Mean weights of adult (1069 g) and juvenile (1035 g) males were significantly greater than those of adult (967 g) and juvenile (926 g) females. Assessment of body mass relative to skeletal size using a mass-size index (weight/tarsus2) did not detect any significant differences between any sex and age categories. Body measurements were of bill length and width, tarsus and middle-toe-and-claw lengths, and wing and tail lengths, and presented for each sex and age class. For every character measured, mean lengths for juvenile males were significantly longer than for juvenile females, and those for adult males significantly longer than for adult females. Within each sex, only mean wing and tail measurements from adults were significantly longer than those from juveniles. Significant differences in field weights and some body measurements between New Zealand and Australian A. superciliosa were identified.
Many New Zealand forest bird species have poor flying ability, limiting their ability to recolonise vacant habitat, and restricting gene flow between populations separated by water. Three endemic passerines considered to have poor dispersal ability have been reintroduced to 3 islands in Dusky Sound where stoats (Mustela erminea) have been eradicated: South Island robins (kakaruwai, Petroica australis) to Anchor Island (1,137 ha), Indian Island (168 ha) and Pigeon Island (73 ha), mohua (yellowhead, Mohoua ochrocephala) to Anchor and Pigeon Islands, and South Island saddleback (tīeke, Philesturnus carunculatus) to Anchor Island only. Mohua have also been reintroduced to nearby Resolution Island (20,887 ha), where stoats are controlled to low density. Stoat traps set on numerous ‘stepping stone’ islands around and between these 4 islands have created a network of predator-free habitat at varying distances from the reintroduction sites. We recorded sightings of these species during landings on 56 islands in Dusky Sound in November 2016. South Island robins had the greatest dispersal ability of the 3 species, and were found on 33 additional islands up to 1.4 km from the nearest potential source population. In contrast, mohua and South Island saddlebacks had each crossed a single water gap only, of 90 m and 100 m respectively. One or more of these 3 species have been translocated to more than 40 islands and a few mainland sites around the South Island and Stewart Island. Information on their dispersal ability across water could guide decisions on whether further translocations are necessary, both in respect to whether birds are likely to colonise nearby islands or forest patches unassisted, and in order to manage gene flow within dispersed metapopulations. South Island robins have apparently displaced tomtits (Petroica macrocephala) on at least 9 small islands in Dusky Sound.
Breeding success of the endemic black-fronted tern (Chlidonias albostriatus) and the identity of predators was studied in the upper Clarence and Acheron Rivers (Molesworth Recreation Reserve), South Island, New Zealand in the 2012, 2013 and 2014 breeding seasons. The catchment supports a nationally and therefore internationally significant population of over 720 breeding birds. A combined total of 1,510 nests were monitored over 3 seasons. Breeding success was poor with only 42.7% of nests hatching at least 1 egg, and average productivity of only 0.13 chicks fledged/nest. Breeding success varied between years and rivers, primarily due to differing predation rates. Predation and nest abandonment following nocturnal predator disturbance were the primary causes of nest failure. A total of 110 filmed predation events at nests identified ferret (Mustela furo), feral cat (Felis catus) and hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) as the main predators. Following a beech and tussock masting event, predation by ship rats (Rattus rattus) was significant in 2014. This is the first time predator increases following mast seeding has been shown to impact braided river birds. In contrast, avian predation was low and varied across rivers. Productivity was higher in large colonies (>25 nests) than small colonies, and in early colonies (colony formation before 31 October). A management programme to improve black-fronted tern productivity has been initiated given the national importance of this population, the ease of access to these colonies, and the identification of the invasive predators responsible for current levels of poor breeding success.
The risk of disorientation by artificial lights and subsequent ‘fallout’ has become a widely recognised issue for nocturnal procellariiform species. Using data from community-based rescue campaigns and systematic research, we assessed the characteristics of fallout events observed in fledglings of the threatened New Zealand endemic Hutton’s shearwater (Puffinus huttoni) or Kaikōura tītī. Despite strong annual variation in observed fallout numbers, the proportion of annually produced fledglings collected as ‘fallout birds’ remained below 1% each year. Among those, more than 80% survived due to community rescue efforts. Fallout was found to increase significantly during new moon, while weather effects remained inconclusive. Most fallout occurred within brightly lit areas of Kaikōura township, particularly along its coastal roads. High light source densities and high wattage lights appeared to be influential in some areas but could only partly explain the spatial distribution of fallout at this small scale.
A total of 49 breeding colonies of 3 petrel species was found on 44 of 56 islands surveyed in Dusky Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand, in November 2016. Sooty shearwater (Puffinus griseus) was the most widespread and abundant species, with an estimated 21,400 burrows on 35 islands. Mottled petrels (Pterodroma inexpectata) were breeding on 12 islands (5500 burrows estimated), and broad-billed prions (Pachyptila vittata) on 2 islands (560 burrows estimated). Sooty shearwaters were found breeding among mottled petrels on 4 islands, and among broad-billed prions on 1 island. This is a 5-fold increase in the number of petrel colonies in Dusky Sound identified in published accounts, and the first estimate of the number of burrows on each island. Long-term survival of most or all of these colonies is dependent on ongoing control of stoats (Mustela erminea) in Dusky Sound. However, we suggest that islands too small to support a resident stoat population provided partial refugia for petrels, even if the islands are within stoat swimming range, allowing petrels to persist for multiple generations. In contrast, petrels were apparently rapidly extirpated from islands over 100 ha, where stoats maintained a resident population.
Waterbirds were counted over ~ 12 ha of Western Springs Lakeside Park, Auckland, twice-monthly from November 2012 to October 2014. On average there were 742 water-birds per count (s.d. = 151.7, range = 511–1081), equating to a mean density of about 62 birds/ha within the study area. The 3 commonest species (mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, black-backed gull, Larus dominicanus and feral goose, Anser anser) made up 63% of all waterbirds counted. Mallard (and all waterbirds combined) were most abundant in summer and autumn. Black-backed gull, Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) and New Zealand scaup (Aythya novaeseelandiae) were seasonally uniform in numbers but red-billed gull (Larus novaehollandiae) were virtually absent from September to December. Spring was the peak season for numbers of black swan (Cygnus atratus), but the seasonal minimum for feral geese. Incidental historical counts trace temporal changes at Western Springs Lake, with a rapid increase of coots in the 1980s and of scaup in the 1990s. Royal spoonbill (Platalea regia) arrived more recently. The counts quantify for the first time the importance of the lake as a habitat for common water-birds on the Auckland isthmus.
The use of DNA barcodes (haplotypic variation in a 648 bp segment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I [COI] gene within the mitochondrial genome, starting from base 58 at the 5’ end of the gene) as part of a species description is an accepted part of modern taxonomy. The evidence COI provides is compelling since a sequence of DNA is biological data obtained from living material. Early in the use of COI, it became apparent that it might highlight potential cryptic species and inform the debate around their status. The little penguin (Eudyptula minor) has been the subject of such debate. DNA barcodes from 53 little penguins were assessed to determine the specific status of this species across its range. Analysis of these data indicates distinct Australian and New Zealand haplotypes that may be indicative of separation at the species level. The specific status for the 2 populations is also supported by behavioural evidence and geographic isolation.
Gould’s petrel, Pterodroma leucoptera, comprises 2 subspecies: P. l. leucoptera that breeds in eastern Australia, and P. l. caledonica that breeds in New Caledonia. The latter subspecies was diagnosed primarily on the basis of plumage differences observed between beachcast specimens from New Zealand (presumed to be P. l. caledonica) and a small sample of specimens from Cabbage Tree Island in Australia. This study re-examined the diagnosis of P. l. caledonica by quantifying plumage variation in both subspecies using live individuals and museum specimens originating from breeding colonies. Variation in supposedly diagnostic plumage characters within the larger sample of the nominate subspecies encompassed almost the entire variation observed in P. l. caledonica; though the former tended to be more heavily pigmented. Given the lack of valid diagnostic characters, the retention of P. l. caledonica as a distinct taxon is difficult to justify. Gould’s petrel should therefore be treated as monotypic.
Many globally threatened bird species have been shown to have highly male-skewed sex ratios. This is concerning for conservation as such populations have a higher extinction risk and lower reproductive population sizes. Our surveys of the remaining populations of orange-fronted parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) indicate this species currently has a non-breeding season adult male population proportion of between 0.56 and 0.66. This male bias increased to between 0.68 and 0.74 during the breeding season. Limited data also suggest that prior to recent declines in the population size of orange-fronted parakeets, driven largely by introduced mammalian predators, the adult sex ratio (ASR) may have been closer to parity. The excess of males indicates that this species currently has a compromised population structure, despite intensive conservation management undertaken since 2000 to limit predation.
The black petrel (Procellaria parkinsoni) is recognised as the seabird species at greatest risk from commercial fishing activity within New Zealand fisheries waters. Despite the fact that valuable mitigation information could be obtained from such data, little is known about the diving ability of this species. Diving data were obtained from electronic time–depth recorders from 22 black petrels breeding on Great Barrier Island (Aotea), Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, during the early chick rearing period from January-February in both 2013 and 2014. This paper presents the first information on the diving ability of black petrels. The deepest dive recorded was 34.3 m, but maximum dive depths varied considerably among individuals (range 0.8-34.3 m). The majority (86.8%) of all dives were < 5 m and black petrels rarely dived to depths of >10 m. The majority (92.7%) of dives were during the day and time of day had no major effect on dive depth. Only males dived at night, between 2300 and 0200 hours. This information could be used to improve mitigation measures for black petrel and other seabird bycatch in longline fisheries particularly in relation to recommended depths for unprotected hooks and line sink rates. To achieve the recommended minimum 10 m depth for unprotected hooks it has been shown that hooks have to be deployed at 6 knots with a 0.3 m/second line sink rate when using 100 m streamer lines. Adoption of these measures should further reduce black petrel bycatch in longline fisheries.
Many bird species have been successfully introduced beyond their natural range, some becoming more abundant in their new environment than in their country of origin. In this study, bird density was measured at 2 study areas comprising a total of 48 recreational parks in northern England and Canterbury, New Zealand, for 10 focal species (native to the former, introduced to the latter). Site characteristics and presence of other bird species were also recorded and investigated as potential explanatory factors for differences in density between the 2 study areas. Common redpoll, common starling, European greenfinch and house sparrow had significantly higher densities at the New Zealand sites. Analysis using generalised linear models revealed a negative relationship between common starling density and proportion cover of trees and shrubs, and a positive relationship between common redpoll, common starling and European greenfinch densities and site species richness. However, since there were no significant differences in site characteristics or site species richness between study areas, these relationships could not account for higher densities at the New Zealand sites. There was an apparent negative relationship between densities of common starling and house sparrow and foraging guild diversity, suggesting that interspecific competition may contribute to differences in density between study areas. The proportion of variation explained by the models was relatively low, suggesting that there may have been missing variables that influenced species density. More detailed study of a wider range of variables is required to investigate this further.