A pair of barn owls (Tyto alba) was found breeding in Kaitaia farmland in Apr 2008, and observations on their nesting biology and behaviour were made over a period of 24 months. Another injured young barn owl, possibly from an earlier breeding attempt, was found with the pair at the time of their discovery, and brought into captivity. The nest tree was climbed and 2 dead owlets recovered, but the pair re-nested and 3 young successfully fledged. Pellets and prey remains were collected and their diet is described through pellet analysis. This is the 1st record of wild barn owls breeding in New Zealand.
Seasonal variation in size of duck populations was examined using weekly surveys along a 1.5 km section of the Waihopai River, Invercargill, New Zealand, between Jul 1995 and Jul 1996. Six species were recorded: mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) (n = 8307), New Zealand shoveler (A. variegata) (n = 285), grey duck (A. superciliosa) (n = 36), paradise shelduck (Tadorna variegata) (n = 4), grey teal (A. gracilis) (n = 1), and New Zealand scaup (Aythya novaeseelandiae) (n = 1). Asynchronous seasonal trends were observed for mallard/grey duck and shoveler populations: mallard/grey duck numbers peaked during duck hunting season, whereas New Zealand shoveler peaked just prior, and declined during hunting season. A relatively constant rise in mallard/grey duck from Jan to late Jun highlights the difficulties in distinguishing the relative effects of post-breeding moult congregations vs. dispersal to refugia from hunting–related disturbance.
A new subspecies of Coenocorypha snipe from Campbell I is described and named. This bird was discovered on rat-free 19 ha Jacquemart I in 1997, and had probably been confined there as a breeding species for about 170 years. Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) were eradicated from 11,268 ha Campbell I in 2001, and snipe soon began to recolonise the main island from Jacquemart I 1 km offshore. Twelve adults and 5 chicks were caught on Campbell I in Jan 2006, and 1 nest was found. Genetic analysis of blood samples, and measurements and plumage descriptions from these birds revealed that they were best regarded as a subspecies of Coenocorypha aucklandica, a species here recognised as confined to the subantarctic Auckland, Antipodes and Campbell Is, and specifically distinct from the 2 other extant Coenocorypha snipes (Snares I snipe C. huegeli and Chatham I snipe C. pusilla).
Few places have been as ecologically devastated by the introduction of exotic mammals as Phillip Island in the Norfolk Island group. Pigs (Sus scrofa), goats (Capra hircus) and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) denuded the island so severely that massive amounts of soil and underlying substrate were lost through erosion. Rabbits, the last of these exotic animals to be removed, were eradicated during the 1980’s. Since then the extent of vegetation on the island has been increasing by natural revegetation and through plantings and seeding. Fourteen species of seabird currently breed on Phillip Island. Five species—Providence petrel (Pterodroma solandri), Kermadec petrel (P. neglecta), white-naped petrel (P. cervicalis), flesh-footed shearwater (Puffinus carneipes) and red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda)—all have ecologically significant populations. In this paper, we review the current status of the seabird populations breeding on Phillip Island, and suggest how vegetation restoration is likely to affect each species. We update previously published notes and present unpublished material collected by us over more than 3 decades. We document when each species was first discovered, reveal the location of nesting sites, describe breeding phenology and nesting habitat, report on any banding activities and returns, and discuss potential threats.
A total of 57 reef herons (Ardea sacra) were counted during a survey of the entire 1,500 km coastline of the Marlborough Sounds in spring 2006. Most birds were encountered in the outer part of the sounds rather than the more developed inner sounds. The total New Zealand population is estimated at 300-500 birds. Both the Marlborough Sounds and national population appears to have been stable for the past 40 years. With a small but stable population the reef heron’s threat classification in New Zealand should be changed from Nationally Vulnerable to Naturally Uncommon. The species is secure overseas with New Zealand being the southernmost limit for the species.
A survey of the entire 1,500 km coastline of the Marlborough Sounds between Sep – Dec 2006 located 9 king shag (Leucocarbo carunculatus) breeding colonies, including 2 new colonies. The total population was estimated at 687 birds, a figure similar to the 10-year average estimated for the period 1992-2002. The 4 largest colonies supported 85% of all birds recorded. The total population appears stable compared to earlier surveys, but there was a tendency for some of the smaller breeding colonies to be occupied only temporarily.
Using GPS technology, we tracked 3 juvenile northern royal albatrosses (Diomedea sanfordi) as they fledged from Taiaroa Head, Otago Peninsula, New Zealand. All birds flew north along the east coast of New Zealand before undertaking a trans-Pacific easterly migration to Chile. During their 8500 km migration, the maximum daily distance and speed reached were 1047 km and 110 km h-1, respectively, and the maximum altitude was 38 m a.s.l. Upon leaving New Zealand waters, the 3 albatrosses took between 16 to 34 days to reach the coast of Chile where they remained between 23°S and 58°S. The tracked albatrosses generally kept to within 100 km of the coast where the depth of water varied between 1000 and 2000 m. Overall, the tracked albatrosses on the Chilean coast spent 72% of the time resting on the water, primarily between 1800 h and 2400 h local time. Fix success rate of the GPS technology ranged from 56% to 85%. The use of solar charging and a long attachment period allowed birds to be followed continuously for 134 to 362 days. Our study confirms the value of GPS technology in uncovering the movements and life history of wide-ranging oceanic birds.