This paper describes the activity of garden, bush and riverine birds in the western Hutt hills, 1981-92. The area is 15 km north of Wellington, 7 km north of the Hutt River estuary, and 15 km south of Pauatahanui Inlet, Porirua Harbour, on the southwest coast of the North Island. Observation is based on 35 years’ residence and >12 500 10-min counts conducted between 1981 and 1992. Species first seen each day are distinguished from those first heard. Whenever possible the birds’ food was recorded. The western hills have fewer native passerines than similar habitat on the eastern hills. Several species increased or decreased during the study. Some apparent decline was attributed to the author’s hearing loss. Wind reduced bird detection. Nectar of New Zealand flax (Phormium spp.) was eaten by silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis), tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) and starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) at different times. In the study area there were about 0.9 cats (Felis catus) per household, a potential predator on birds.
We investigated the use of call count surveys to monitor weka numbers for management purposes. A Generalised Linear Model based on data from 111 nights of listening for weka at Rakauroa (North Island, New Zealand) showed that the number of calls recorded was influenced by listening site and month, but not by wind direction, wind strength, cloud cover, phase of the moon, rainfall or temperature. Mean number of calls heard was highest between December and March, with a peak in January. More birds were heard from certain listening sites. Although there was no correlation between any of the environmental variables and weka calling, wind, and rain may have reduced the audibility of weka in other studies. The estimated probability of detecting weka was 60-80% (mean = 728). At least 3 nights at each listening station were necessary to improve the census accuracy. Call counts of weka at Rakauroa between 1993 and 1997 showed a decline in the number of weka.
The total population of North Island weka (Gallirallus australis greyi) is about 4150 adults spread over five islands, one North Island population, and a number of captive birds in aviaries and mainland island programmes. Between 77% and 84% of the adult weka population are on Kawau Island. Density changes in the Mansion House Historic Reserve, and anecdotal records suggest that adult weka populations on Kawau Island has fluctuated between c.2100 and c.5000 during 1992-1999. The largest declines occurred within 12 months of the 1990-91 and 1997-98 droughts.
Knowledge of the abundance of white-flippered penguins and on the distribution of penguins without attached instruments at sea in general is scarce. Sightings of individual penguins in the neritic waters of southern Banks Peninsula were recorded between November 1993 and March 1997 to document their near-shore distribution and changes in seasonal abundance. White-flippered penguins were not evenly distributed but appeared to concentrate in several bays. Abundance in Akaroa Harbour, the largest bay in the study area, peaked in April and November after recorded lows in March and September (probably due to moult and incubation), respectively.
Waders were counted monthly for six years at the three high tide roosts which are normally used by more than 50% of the waders in the Firth of Thames. The annual cycle of wader numbers is shown for all waders and selected species. The data are used to “correct” wader count data and demonstrate that such “correction” changes apparent population trends. Timing of future bi-annual wader censuses can be improved to maximise counts and/or to minimise variability.
The growth of New Zealand’s second mainland Australasian gannet (Morus serrator) colony at Muriwai, north west Auckland is described from counts between 1975 and 1998. The colonies on Motutara Island, and the southern and northern colonies on Otakamiro Point have increased from 28 pairs in 1975 to 1393 pairs in 1998. The potential for future colony expansion on the northern cliff face, where human disturbance is highest, is discussed.
The number of black-fronted dotterels (Charadrius melanops) in the Ruamahanga River catchment of the Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand, increased from c. 80 birds in 1972 to 300 – 350 birds in 1996. Another c. 100 birds breed on rivers that drain directly to the eastern coast of the Wairarapa. Their numbers and range are still increasing. Lake Wairarapa is an important wintering site for black-fronted dotterels, although their origin is uncertain.
Twenty four species and two subspecies of bird lice are recorded from New Zealand for the first time. Also, 52 new host-louse associations are listed for louse species already recorded from New Zealand. The genera Cuculiphilus Uchida, 1926, Franciscoloa Conci, 1942, Penenirmus Clay & Meinertzhagen, 1938 and Psittoecus Conci, 1942 are recorded from New Zealand for the first time. Since the publication of the previous list of chewing lice from New Zealand birds, four further lice have been published as new species, and another identified and reported in the literature. One species has been synonymised and its name is deleted from the fauna. Considering the above additions, deletion and other amendments, the total number of species and subspecies of bird lice recorded from the New Zealand region and the Antarctic Ross Dependency is now 301. A further 105 records still remain at generic level only, but all these do not necessarily represent different taxa.