A survey of the white-flippered penguin (Eudyptula minor albosignata) nesting colonies on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand was made during the 2000/01 and 2001/02 breeding seasons. Sixty-eight colonies were found of which 51 contained 5-20 nests, 12 21-50 nests, and 5 >50 nests. Altogether there were 2112 nests which equates to a population of c. 5870 birds. Adding the estimated 1650 nests on Motunau Island gave a total population for the subspecies of c. 10,460 birds. The colonies were distributed right around the peninsula with their occurrence increasing from west to east. Most were situated either on the peripheral coast (47%) or inside bays within 1 km of their entrance (38%). All but three of the colonies were on debris slopes below coastal bluffs with the nests concentrated mainly in rock piles. One colony was on an islet, and the other two were on farmland around the heads of bays. Thirty-four of the colonies were considered accessible to introduced mammalian predators, and 14 contained evidence predators had been present. If predator numbers remain high it seems inevitable that many of the surviving penguin colonies will be lost and others reduced in size.
The effects of time of day and observer vantage points on recorded waterbird species diversity and numbers of individuals of each species (especially New Zealand scaup (Aythya novaeseelandiae), the most common species) from a New Zealand wetland were analysed statistically and compared using rank abundance plots. There were significant differences between counts of total numbers of species, total numbers of individuals, and numbers of New Zealand scaup made from three observer positions and this effect was attributed to differences in observer elevation. Time of day had no significant effect on total numbers of species, total numbers of individuals of all species, and numbers of New Zealand scaup counted. However, rank abundance plots indicated a time of day effect on counts made at the least elevated of the observer positions. Overall, these effects were sufficient to introduce bias into waterbird counts and to require they be assessed during long-term monitoring programmes.
Parental and nestling behaviour of New Zealand pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) was observed from August 1998 to March 1999 at Motatau Forest, Northland, New Zealand. Four successful nests from three pairs were monitored using infra-red cameras and direct observation. Incubation was shared (female: dusk till 0643-1106 hrs; male: remainder of the day). Three stages of daytime nestling care were apparent: full-attendance brooding by either parent (day 0 to day 8-12); female-only brooding (day 9-13 to day 12-26); and feeding only (day 13-27 to fledging) except in wet weather. Females brooded the nestlings for significantly longer than did males. Young nestlings were fed more frequently, and for longer, than when older. Parents appeared to select fruit of pigeonwood (Hedycarya arborea) and nikau (Rhopalostylis sapida) for feeding nestlings. Development and growth was rapid and one nestling weighed 565 g (similar to adult weight) by day 26. Feathers first appeared on day 5-8.