Using GPS technology, we tracked 3 juvenile northern royal albatrosses (Diomedea sanfordi) as they fledged from Taiaroa Head, Otago Peninsula, New Zealand. All birds flew north along the east coast of New Zealand before undertaking a trans-Pacific easterly migration to Chile. During their 8500 km migration, the maximum daily distance and speed reached were 1047 km and 110 km h-1, respectively, and the maximum altitude was 38 m a.s.l. Upon leaving New Zealand waters, the 3 albatrosses took between 16 to 34 days to reach the coast of Chile where they remained between 23°S and 58°S. The tracked albatrosses generally kept to within 100 km of the coast where the depth of water varied between 1000 and 2000 m. Overall, the tracked albatrosses on the Chilean coast spent 72% of the time resting on the water, primarily between 1800 h and 2400 h local time. Fix success rate of the GPS technology ranged from 56% to 85%. The use of solar charging and a long attachment period allowed birds to be followed continuously for 134 to 362 days. Our study confirms the value of GPS technology in uncovering the movements and life history of wide-ranging oceanic birds.
Silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) in an urban population in Marlborough, New Zealand showed considerable diurnal changes in body mass. At first light, average mass was 12.39 g, rising to 13.91 g by dusk. This represented a 12% average loss of mass overnight. The overall average mass was 13.22 g; birds were 6% below average at 0700 h, but increased rapidly to be near the average for most of the day, rising significantly in the 2 hours before dusk (1700 h). This pattern of diurnal mass change is consistent with theoretical models suggesting that birds should manipulate daily mass gain in order to trade-off starvation risk with mass-dependent predation risk.
We document hybridisation between South I pied oystercatcher (Haematopus finschi) and variable oystercatcher (H. unicolor) in Canterbury from 1989 to 2005. From 2 observations of hybridisation between South I pied oystercatcher x variable oystercatcher when first discovered, the hybrid swarm has increased to around 17 pairs, including South I pied oystercatcher pairs, variable oystercatcher pairs, hybrid pairs, and mixed pairs. We present data on the birds and their offspring and speculate on possible causes and implications of hybridisation for conservation of the taxa.
The North Island robin (Petroica longipes) was introduced to the Zealandia – Karori Sanctuary in 2001. The sanctuary is a mainland island (225 ha) in Wellington that is free from all mammalian predators except mice (Mus musculus), and enclosed by a predator-proof fence. During 2001 and 2002 a total of 76 robins were translocated from Kapiti I to the sanctuary. To assess changes in this population since its introduction, I surveyed and mapped territories of robins in a 37 ha section of the sanctuary in 2008. Density has continued to increase, from 0.7 robins/ha in 2003 to 2.5 robins/ha in 2008. This density is higher than other mainland sites. Of 46 adult robins seen within the study area at the start of the 2004-05 breeding season, at least 17 remained within the area in 2008, close to their 2004 territories. These included 4 robins from the original transfer. In all cases where both partners from 2004 were seen in the study area in 2008, the pair bond remained intact. My survey confirms continued increase in this introduced population and high pair fidelity.
Evidence from Cook’s voyages supports the late prehistoric human introduction of the red shining-parrot (Prosopeia tabuensis tabuensis) from Fiji into the Tongatapu group, Kingdom of Tonga. It appears that a wild population of red shining-parrots was established on ’Eua by the time of Cook’s visits to the Tongatapu group in the 1770s. Latham used specimens obtained at ’Eua in 1777 for the 1st published description of the species. However, the correct type locality of the taxon is Fiji. A red shining-parrot specimen used by Latham is in the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna. It is 1 of the few bird specimens that survive from Cook’s voyages.
Prey remains and regurgitated pellets of New Zealand falcons Falco novaeseelandiae, from Adams I in the Auckland Is, were collected to determine the diet of this species in the subantarctic part of their range. Dissection of pellets revealed 1588 bones from 215 individuals of 18 species of birds preyed upon. Feathers associated with the remains supported the bone identifications. Rangle stones were also collected. The presence of procellariiform seabirds in the diet of falcons suggests some nocturnal hunting. While the single most frequent prey species was the bellbird (Anthornis melanura), Antarctic prion (Pachyptila desolata) and subantarctic diving petrel (Pelecanoides urinatrix exsul) were also common. When measured by prey weight, endemic land birds such as Auckland I rail (Lewinia muelleri), Auckland I snipe (Coenocorypha aucklandica aucklandica), and Auckland I teal (Anas aucklandica) constituted a third of the prey. Like many island birds, these ground-dwelling species cannot co-exist with introduced mammalian predators, but survive despite predation by native falcons.
The foraging behaviour and success of Australian white ibis (Threskiornis molucca) was investigated in a range of natural and artificial urban habitats in Queensland, Australia. Observations were made in tidal mudflat, freshwater wetland, rural grassland, urban park and landfill habitats. Australian white ibis exhibited a range of foraging behaviours, including both visual (fossicking, jabbing and pecking) and non-visual foraging behaviours (probing). The most common non-foraging behaviour was walking, followed by prey handling, pause and alert. Fighting was observed only in landfill habitats. Australian white ibis were able to capture food items in all habitats, although foraging success at landfills was more than twice as high as the other habitats. Food items captured at landfills required significantly more time to handle before swallowing. The ability of ibis to capture food items in all habitats indicates that they are effective habitat generalists.
North Island kākā (Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis) often hold food in either their left or right foot when feeding. I observed kākā at Zealandia – Karori Sanctuary in Wellington in order to determine whether kākā show laterality (specifically footedness) when holding food. Laterality was seen at the individual level, i.e. individual kākā tended to consistently use the right foot or consistently use the left foot to hold food. However, there was no significant population level laterality, i.e. a similar proportion of the kākā showed bias towards using the left foot as the right foot. The kākā I studied were banded with a wide band on 1 foot and 2 narrow bands on the other foot. There did appear to be a population level bias towards holding food in the foot banded with the single wide band, but the reason for this was unknown and further study is needed.
One significant late Holocene deposit of bird and other fossils was discovered during a brief survey of potential fossil sites on subantarctic Campbell I, New Zealand. The bones recovered included the first specimen of a Cyanoramphus parakeet from the island. Preliminary ancient DNA analysis of the parakeet bone confirmed its generic identification and may ultimately facilitate the re-introduction of a taxon that most closely resembles the genetic make-up of the extinct population. Some implications of the fossil record and value of the fossil sites are discussed.
The distribution and habitat use of New Zealand pipits (Anthus n. novaeseelandiae) in Tongariro National Park on the volcanic plateau of the North I was assessed in Nov 1998 and Mar 1999. Pipits were found at 13 of 22 sites. Surveys between Nov 1998 and Oct 2009 found pipits present all year at Lake Te Whaiau, Mangatepopo Road and Waipakihi Road. Pipits were also seen along the road through the wetland at Erua in winter and summer. At Lake Te Whaiua, pipit presence and use of habitats differed seasonally. The average maximum flock size in summer was 9.7 (se = 1.05, n = 11). Maximum roadside counts outside of the flocking period were 1.13 pipits km-¹ (se = 0.17, n = 5) along Waipakihi Road and maximum summer flock sizes there averaged 6.0 (se = 1.05, range 2 – 18, n = 19) birds.
An updated list of bird species identified at Washdyke Lagoon, Timaru, New Zealand is presented, along with the corresponding threat status and references relating to individual species. The information was based on a literature search of published or readily available information. Sixty-five species were identified (plus hybrids and unidentified species), which expands considerably on previous checklists from the lagoon. Eighteen species (nearly 28%) are threatened or at risk. The number and diversity of species identified emphasises the importance of the lagoon as a coastal wetland habitat on the central east coast of the South Island. The lagoon’s existence is under very serious threat from coastal erosion and a variety of human influences.
Monitoring of breeding success in 2006/07 and 2007/08, and visits in Dec 2007 to assess levels of stoat predation and burrow densities were undertaken in order to assess the status of Hutton’s shearwaters (Puffinus huttoni) at the 2 remaining breeding colonies. Long-term (20 year) estimates of burrow density within the Kowhai Valley show a consistent increase in burrow density within this colony. Along with the discovery of a new area of burrowed ground, these results suggest the population of Hutton’s shearwater has increased in this colony over the last 20 years. Burrow density data for Shearwater Stream are less robust, but does not appear to show a decline. Measures of predation rates in the Kowhai colony show no major differences in the numbers of adult shearwaters found on transects in comparison with the late 1990s and the recovery of shearwater carcasses from burrows in 2 recent seasons also does not differ from the late 1990s. Burrow occupancy levels in both colonies in 2006/07 are similar to the 1990s. In contrast, breeding success in both the Kowhai Valley and Shearwater Stream were very low in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 breeding seasons. Due to the lack of evidence suggesting an increase in stoat predation, these low values of breeding success are hypothesised to be a result of poor at-sea feeding conditions. The apparently consistent lower breeding success at the Shearwater Stream colony (and lack of evidence for alternative local environmental impacts such as heavy snowfall or rain events within this colony) may well be a consequence of stoats, due to the differential impact of stoats at this small colony (8,000 breeding pairs) in comparison to the far larger Kowhai Valley colony (106,000 pairs). Continued annual monitoring within both colonies and a programme of stoat trapping within the Shearwater Stream colony are recommended in order to better assess breeding success and to determine if trapping can protect the smaller colony. Five-yearly monitoring of burrow densities and predation rates should continue to help evaluate long-term trends and the health of this endemic New Zealand species.