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The relationships of the extinct Chatham Island eagle

Notornis, 31 (4), 273-277

S.L. Olson (1984)

Article Type: Paper

The extinct subfossil eagle of the Chatham Islands is referable to the genus Haliaeetus rather than to Ichthyophaga wherein originally described. Haliaeetus australis, as it should now be known, is more similar to northern species of the genus, particularly H. pelagicus, than to the geographically closer species H. leucogaster, and its ancestors probably colonised the Chatham Islands from the Northern Hemisphere rather than from Australasia.







Territories of South Island fernbirds

Notornis, 30 (3), 199-216

M. Barlow (1983)

Article Type: Paper

South Island fernbirds near Invercargill, Southland, were studied for two years. Adult birds had year-round preference for areas with low dense ground vegetation and emergent shrubs. The preferred habitat occurred in a linear strip along an estuary margin. Territories were contiguous and distributed in linear fashion along the strip. Territory areas varied from 530 m2 approximately to 2870 m2 approximately. Territories were strongly defended during the prebreeding and breeding seasons, and defended to some degree at other times. Juveniles were often found outside the preferred adult habitat. There were indications that total fernbird population needs may include an area adjacent to but exclusive of adult territory areas. Fire had a prolonged adverse effect on breeding habitat.





Seabirds found dead on New Zealand beaches in 1981

Notornis, 30 (2), 125-135

R.G. Powlesland (1983)

Article Type: Paper

In 1981, 3,654 kilometres of coast were patrolled by 182 members of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand and their friends, and 5,627 dead seabirds were found. New records for the Beach Patrol Scheme were a Kermadec petrel (Pterodroma neglecta) and a long-tailed skua (Stercorarius longicaudus). Unusual finds were yellow-nosed mollymawk (Diomedea chlororhynchus), wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacificus), Wilson’s storm petrel (Oceanites oceanicus), black-bellied storm petrel (Fregetta tropica) and black-fronted tern (Sterna albostriata). A major wreck of Kerguelen petrels (Pterodroma brevirostris) and blue petrels (Halobaena caerulea) occurred in spring along the western coast of the North Island.