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Behaviour and affinities of the Magellanic Cormorant

Notornis, 33 (4), 249-257

Siegel-Causey, D. (1986)

Article Type: Paper

The pair-bonding, recognition, defence, and courtship behaviour of the Magellanic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax magellanicus) is described. Its displays indicate that its closest relatives are the Pelagic and Red-faced Cormorants of the North Pacific, and that its similarities to the Guanay (P. bougainvillii) are only superficial. The affinities of the Magellanic Cormorant appear to lie with the cliff shags as a member of the Stictocarbo complex, rather than with the blue-eyed shag (Leucocarbo) complex.

South Polar Skua breeding colonies in the Ross Sea region, Antarctica

Notornis, 33 (3), 155-163

Ainley, D.G., Morrell, S.H., Wood, R.C. (1986)

Article Type: Paper

Using ground and aerial surveys between 1980 and 1983, we increased the number of known breeding sites of the South Polar Skua in the Ross Sea region from 21 to 55. Some 20 more sites may occur along parts of the coast which we did not survey, especially between Cape Adare and Cape Jones. We estimate that the Ross Sea region has about 15000 skuas. Up to 20% of breeders do not nest in association with penguins. Since the late 1950s, several colonies have increased, while others have decreased. Some colony changes have apparently been due to human activity. Information on banded birds indicates a low rate of exchange between colonies; some movement may be related to more food being available at refuse dumps at scientific bases.

The food of the white-rumped swiftlet (Aerodramus spodiopygius) in Fiji

Notornis, 33 (1), 1-16

Tarburton, M.K. (1986)

Article Type: Paper

Diptera (flies), Homoptera (planthoppers), Hymenoptera (social insects), Isoptera (termites), and Coleoptera (beetles) were the most numerous prey in 32 food boluses being delivered by parent White-rumped swiftlets (Aerodramus spodiopygius) to their chicks inside two Fijian caves. Numerically the main food items were flies (37%) and planthoppers (33%). Both the season and the habitat over which the birds had been feeding seemed to determine whether flies or planthoppers predominated in a particular bolus sample. Flies predominated in the prey of swiftlets foraging over open country, whereas planthoppers predominated in the prey of swiftlets foraging over both forest and open country. The number of insects in each food bolus ranged from 47 to 750 (mean = 236). The average weight of a bolus was 0.225 g (range 0.1- 0.43 g). The average length of all prey was 2.48 mm, which is larger than the average length of available prey (1.63 mm). The number of prey species ranged from 2 to 83 (mean = 30 per bolus). Altogether, 167 species were recorded in food boluses. The White-rumped swiftlet bred during the wet season, when insects were more abundant. This study, along with others (largely unpublished) shows for the first time that Hies are often the most common insect in the prey of swifts, swiftlets and swallows.

The sexual dimorphism of Snares Cape Pigeons (Daption capense australe)

Notornis, 33 (4), 259-263

Sagar, P.M. (1986)

Article Type: Paper

The males of Snares Cape Pigeons (Daption capense australe) breeding at the Snares Islands are larger than females, especially in head plus bill length, mid-toe plus claw, bill length, bill depth, tarsus, and weight. By using the measurements head plus bill length and mid-toe plus claw, one can reliably sex about 82% of the Snares Islands birds. The amount of sexual dimorphism is similar in both races of cape pigeon. The importance of having a wide range of calls during breeding is favoured as the reason for dimorphism having developed in fulmarine petrels.
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