Publications Archive

Dr. Christopher McGowan. Journal of Morphology. Vol. 160. No. 1 . April 1979.

Beside a Hawkes Ray farm lake in December 1977 I observed a spotless crake (Porzana tabuen plumbea) in response to a playing taped crake calls. Immediately two fernbirds (Bowdleria punctata) appeared. They duetted together and went through their whole repertoire, their bodies vibrating as they gave the “ticking” call.

Past information on the birds of Antipodes Island is reviewed and an account given of the findings of the first scientific party to live ashore, from 28 January 1969 to 12 March 1969. The bird list of 37 species includes 16 for which breeding is proven (11 seabirds and 5 landbirds) ; eight seabirds that almost certainly breed but whose eggs or chicks have yet to be seen; four seabirds and two landbirds that possibly breed and two seabirds and two landbirds that appear to be stragglers. Three seabirds known only from nearby seas complete the tally. Dimensions are given of birds handled or collected. Most were petrels and included a sample of Soft-plumaged Petrels, previously unrecorded in New Zealand, the skins of which were compared with those of other populations and judged to belong to the nominate race. Skins of the Little Shearwaters, collected for the first time at Antipodes Island, agreed with examples of the subspecies elegans from the South Atlantic. A census was attempted of the Wandering Albatross population, and the penguin and Northern Giant Petrel colonies were mapped. The seabird fauna is compared with the seabird faunas of our other southern islands.

Photographs in July of a Wandering tattler on Rarotonga and a Grey-tailed tattler on Norfolk Island, both in non-breeding plumage.

Large numbers of Cape pigeons (Daption capense) breed at the Snares Islands. Egg laying occurs in the second week of November and is probably synchronous. Both adults incubate the single white egg. Hatching occurs from the third week in December to the first week in January. Chicks are brooded continuously for up to 10 days and guarded for up to 15 days after hatching. Weight increases until the chicks reach mean adult weight about three weeks after hatching. Adults continue to feed chicks until they fledge, from 47 to 57 days after hatching. The colonies are then deserted for a period while adults moult at sea. The birds remain around the islands throughout the year. There was no evidence of predation during breeding. Exposure of nest site to wind and rain affected breeding success. Band recoveries suggest a strong nest site attachment from year to year.

1978. Oxford University Press. 1012 pp; 404 figures, maps, photographs and field sketches; 14 col. and 18 b & w plates; 19 appendices; bibliography; 275 x 195 mm