Deliberate taxon substitution is a much discussed but rarely enactioned concept in restoration ecology. We describe the successful establishment of a translocated population of Snares Island snipe (Coenocorypha huegeli) on Putauhinu I, which lies alongside Taukihepa (Big South Cape I), the last stronghold of the extinct South Island snipe (C. iredalei). Thirty Snares Island snipe were captured on North East I, Snares Is in Apr 2005 and released 3-5 days later on Putauhinu I. A survey on Putauhinu I in Mar 2011 resulted in the capture of 54 descendants of the released birds and a population estimate of at least 320 birds. This is one of few documented translocations of an organism with the specific objective of replacing a closely related extinct taxon. As a result, the Snares Island snipe is probably more abundant than at any time in its evolutionary history.
To date there has been no published information describing the relative abundance, behaviour or distribution of the New Zealand king shag (Leucocarbo carunculatus) within mussel farm areas, despite the sensitivity of the species to human disturbance and the potential overlap of its range with proposed development of marine aquaculture. Four survey methods were employed as part of a multi-species research programme to develop methods for surveying marine mammals and seabird populations in aquaculture management areas. Two of the techniques, involving continuous time- lapse photography of mussel farms and boat-based surveys through coastal farms were developed for this study. Time- lapse cameras showed that mussel farms buoys were used by king shags as temporary resting sites only. King shags were recorded on 36% of the farms (n = 44) from 13 surveys within inner Admiralty Bay. The low number of sightings within mussel farms suggests that farms are not important foraging or resting areas for king shags, at least in Admiralty Bay. The foraging range and density of king shags was not known before farms were developed, so no direct comparison or impact assessment can be made. Boat-based surveys were used to estimate the density of foraging shags, which showed that daily locations of foraging birds at sea can vary considerably on consecutive days and over the season. Previous environmental surveys to assess impacts of mussel farms on foraging areas are therefore unlikely to adequately represent the entire foraging range or most important feeding areas. The number of breeding pairs, chicks and nests was also found to vary considerably at colonies, dependent on when counts were undertaken during their protracted breeding season. Open water mid-bay aquaculture (shellfish and finfish) potentially poses a greater threat to king shags than ‘coastal ribbon development’, in terms of loss of open water habitat from farm structures, and loss of foraging habitat through modification to the water column (e.g., turbidity) and seabed. Given the lack of knowledge about the king shag population dynamics, diet and prey availability, there is an urgent requirement for more research to fill these gaps and also understand how we can conserve important shag feeding areas and associated marine environment through sustainable management of aquaculture.
The South Island snipe (Coenocorypha iredalei) was described by Walter Rothschild in 1921 based on 3 specimens collected on Jacky Lee I, off Stewart I, in 1897 & 1898 and purchased from Henry Travers. The last 3 birds were seen 43 years later on Big South Cape I, and the species is considered extinct following introductions of weka (Gallirallus australis) or ship rats (Rattus rattus) to its 2 last strongholds. I surveyed surviving museum skins, literature, and personal accounts of the South Island snipe, including a previously unpublished account from the type locality, to learn more of the bird’s discovery and extinction. Seven only of the 24 known specimens had correct locality data associated with them; as a result, many were assumed until recently to be Snares Island snipe (C. huegeli). Based on specimen records, historic correspondence, and forensic examination of specimen labels, I conclude that Henry Travers never visited Jacky Lee I, and that the unknown collector of the type specimens of C. iredalei also collected bird specimens from Rangatira I in the Chatham Is in 1899 and 1900.
Sexual differences in vocalisations of the Vanuatu petrel (Pterodroma occulta) are described. Qualitative differences in burrow calls could be used to sex adults with 63-100% accuracy in listening experiments. Males sounded “clear” and females sounded “hoarse”. Higher accuracy is possible with the aid of spectrograms. Playback experiments demonstrated a male-bias in responses of incubating Vanuatu petrels to “war-whooping” and flight calls. Acoustic methods have practical and ethical advantages over handling breeding petrels and further studies of the vocal behaviour of gadfly-petrels are encouraged.
Edgar Stead (1881-1949) documented avian diversity on the islands around Stewart I during the 1930s and 1940s, and named 3 new passerine subspecies in 1936. Between 1912 and 1950, 6 other newly-recognised bird taxa were given the epithet ‘steadi’. Four of these were indisputably named after Edgar Stead: Stictocarbo steadi Oliver, 1930, Pseudoprion turtur steadi Mathews, 1932, Thalassarche cauta steadi Falla, 1933, and Petroica (Miro) australis steadi Fleming, 1950. Carbo carbo steadi Mathews & Iredale, 1913 was probably named after Edgar Stead. It is suggested that Procellaria aequinoctialis steadi Mathews, 1912 was most likely named after the Australian naturalist David Stead (1877-1957). Among the birds named by or for Edgar Stead, only Thalassarche cauta steadi Falla, 1933, Xenicus longipes variabilis Stead, 1936, and Bowdleria punctata wilsoni Stead, 1936 are recognised as valid taxa in the 2010 Checklist of the birds of New Zealand. Stictocarbo steadi Oliver, 1930 is permanently invalid. A list of type specimens collected by Stead is presented, representing 6 currently recognised taxa.
On 5 years between 1969 and 2006, counts were made of birds seen and heard along a 2.3 km transect through a central suburb of Wellington City. A total of 14,461 birds of 26 species were encountered, including 10 native and 16 introduced species. Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), sacred kingfisher (Halcyon sancta) dunnock (Prunella modularis) and rock dove (Columba livia) numbers remained similar over the 5 counts. By contrast, counts of tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae), fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) and grey warbler (Gerygone igata) rose between 1988-89 and 2005-06. New Zealand pigeons (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) and bellbirds (Anthornis melanura) were 1st detected in 2005. The number of mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), song thrush (Turdus philomelos), chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), blackbird (Turdus merula), goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) and greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) increased more than 3-fold between the earliest and latest counts. Increases in the numbers of most native and introduced species may have resulted from a possum control programme that began throughout the Wellington district in the 1990s and to the establishment of the nearby Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (‘Zealandia’). Common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) and black-backed gull (Larus dominicanus) counts fell after 1971 as did the number of Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) between 1989 and 2005. Between 1969-71 and 1981-2, house sparrow (Passer domesticus) counts fell 37%, the figure remaining low until 2006. The coincidence of this decline in house sparrows with similar declines in the northern hemisphere is discussed.
An annotated checklist of birds recorded or reported on the Aleipata Is, Samoa is presented. Nu’utele and Nu’ulua Is were the focus of an attempt to eradicate Pacific rats (Rattus exulans) in 2009. The data presented are from bird surveys intended to provide baseline information to determine the effect of rodent eradication on the bird fauna. Fanuatapu or Namu’a Is were surveyed as experimental controls. A total of 42 species were recorded or reported, comprised of 24 species of land birds (including 3 introduced species) and 18 species of seabirds and shorebirds. Morphometric data are also presented from Friendly ground-doves (Gallicolumba stairi) that were removed from Nu’utele I and held in captivity during the rat eradication attempt.
Orange-fronted parakeets (Cyanoramphus malherbi) are New Zealand’s rarest parakeet species with a global population of less than 500 individuals on remnant mainland populations and reintroduced populations on offshore islands. Since there is limited information about habitat preferences by this species on offshore islands I characterised habitat use on Maud Island, where captive-bred parakeets were introduced in 2007. I compared the vegetation characteristics of 29 plots (each 25 m2) where parakeets were encountered and 23 plots randomly selected. Parakeets were observed foraging in 96.6% of the plots. Plots used by parakeets showed significantly higher density of stems under 20 cm dbh and a higher canopy than random plots. Used plots also tended to have greater canopy cover and lower understory and ground vegetation covers. These results indicate that orange-fronted parakeets use ecotones of broadleaf coastal forest-manuka scrub, and pine plantations-manuka scrub for foraging highlighting the potential value of islands with mixed patches of these vegetation types as future refuges for this critically endangered species.