Birds collected and reported by the Austrian Novara Expedition while in northern New Zealand in December 1858 and January 1859 are described. These included birds collected at sea east of Northland and Auckland, and birds seen and collected between the Auckland isthmus and Waikato River during 18 days that SMS Novara was at Auckland. Notable records include the earliest known specimen of Pycroft’s petrel (Pterodroma pycrofti), and the earliest record of Kermadec petrel (Pt. neglecta) from near the New Zealand mainland. Scientists from the Novara encountered many species that are now rare or absent near Auckland city and northern Waikato, including brown teal (Anas chlorotis), long-tailed cuckoo (Eudynamys taitensis), New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae), kākā (Nestor meridionalis), red-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae), yellow-crowned parakeet (C. auriceps), bellbird (Anthornis melanura), whitehead (Mohoua albicilla), and North Island robin (Petroica longipes), and possibly also North Island saddleback (Philesturnus rufusater) and the extinct North Island piopio (Turnagra tanagra). Other specimens obtained in Auckland (of uncertain provenance) included North Island kokako (Callaeas wilsoni) and hihi (Notiomystis cincta). All these species became much scarcer or extinct following the introduction of ship rats (Rattus rattus) and stoats (Mustela ermina) and other mammalian predators to New Zealand after 1859.
The Cook Islands are a scattered group of mainly inhabited tropical islands in the South Pacific Ocean. We provide a comprehensive review of petrel and shearwater (Oceanitidae and Procellariidae) records for the Cook Islands. Records include new fossil and subfossil records; however, the focus is on specimen records and observations made on land since 1970. Records and observations comprise details of 13 species of seabirds within the order Procellariiformes, from the Northern and Southern Groups, Cook Islands. This paper includes extensions to the breeding ranges of some Procellariiformes within the South Pacific Ocean. Significant new records include confirmation of Herald petrel (Pterodroma heraldica) breeding on Rarotonga, and the suspected breeding of black-winged petrel (P. nigripennis) on Ātiu, wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) on Aitutaki, and tropical shearwater (Puffinus dichrous) on Mangaia. A thorough field survey across all islands needs to be conducted to determine more completely the breeding status and distribution of these species, and to potentially locate other species. We recommend surveys using a range of methods to determine the breeding status of species in the Cook Islands and, importantly, developing local capacity towards improving conservation efforts to protect Procellariiformes, including urgent predator control at some locations on Rarotonga.
Many aspects of the ecology of the endemic variable oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor) have not been studied in detail. We colour-banded and monitored a population of the species in a study area between 36°S and 37°S on the east coast of the North Island, New Zealand. Monitoring was intensive during the breeding season from 1994/95 to 1998/99, during which time we gathered information on timing of breeding, chick growth, and productivity. We also recorded measurements of adult birds and eggs. Laying of first clutches was protracted and extended from early September to mid-December. Chicks fledged at lower weights than adults and with shorter total head length and wing, but with tarsus and mid-toe within the adult range. Productivity at four core breeding sites within our study area averaged 0.42 chicks fledged per pair per year. Juveniles commonly remained with their parents on their natal territory during their first winter. From 1999, monitoring was less intensive as we continued collecting data on dispersal, age at first breeding, survival, and pair-bond retention. Natal dispersal values ranged from 0–109 km, with most birds breeding within 60 km of their natal site. As with many oystercatcher species, maturity is delayed, and birds in our study area first bred at between 4 and 8 years of age. There was a high level of mate-fidelity, with one pair-bond lasting 16 consecutive years, but divorce was not uncommon. Once established on a territory, adults were highly sedentary. Annual survival rates of adults and pre-breeders were very high, and the local population had the capacity to grow by about 5% per year. Birds breeding at low-lying sites often lost nests to flooding, and this threat is almost certain to be exacerbated by ongoing climate change.
Shorebird nest outcomes can be affected by factors such as predation, human disturbance, and habitat characteristics. Over two breeding seasons between 2022–2024, we monitored the hatching success of banded dotterels (Anarhynchus bicinctus), southern black-backed gulls (SBBGs) (Larus dominicanus), black-fronted terns (Chlidonias albostriatus), pied stilts (Himantopus leucocephalus), and variable oystercatchers (Haematopus unicolor) at the Ashley River estuary, New Zealand, and compared these values to those in the literature. We also recorded habitat variables at the nest sites of the two species with the largest sample sizes: banded dotterels and SBBGs. Hatching success was lowest for black-fronted terns and highest for SBBGs. Overall, failure was predominantly due to predation and flooding. SBBG hatching success was unrelated to the measured nest site variables but may have been influenced by seasonal changes, with earlier nests appearing more successful. Banded dotterel nests that were closer to water appeared to be more successful, as did nests in the first year of the study. Cats (Felis domesticus) were recorded depredating banded dotterel nests, highlighting the importance of monitoring and controlling invasive species to protect native birds in New Zealand’s estuaries.
Holdaway, R.N.; Allentoft, M. E. 2022. A basic statistical approach to determining adult sex ratios of moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) from sample series, with potential regional and depositional biases. Notornis 69: 158-173.