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The North Solomons Province of Papua New Guinea consists of two main islands, Bougainville and Buka as well as several atolls to the north and east. The avifauna on five atolls, Nissan, Nuguria, Tulun, Takuu and Nukumanu, was recorded during visits in 2001. A bird list for each atoll group was compiled, incorporating previously published observations, and the local language names of birds recorded.

The foraging behaviour of banded dotterels during day and night was compared at two sites in the Richmond River estuary, northern New South Wales, Australia. Dotterels foraged during all nights of the survey, although the majority of their food intake came from day feeding. Feeding success rate (no. prey/minute) did not differ significantly between lunar phases or night visibility categories but average feeding success rate was lower at night than during the day. Dotterels foraged on a range of prey including sentinel crabs (Macropthalamus spp.), soldier crabs (Mictyris longicarpus), shrimps (Penaeus spp.) and polychaete worms. At night soldier crabs represented a greater proportion of prey consumed than during the day. No polychaete worms were recorded being taken at night. Dotterels displayed a range of foraging behaviours, although the typical dotterel technique of wait-walk-peck-wait was most commonly recorded. Significant differences in the proportion of time that birds spent waiting, flying and vigilant, and the number of pecks/minute and paces/walk were recorded between day and night. Foraging behaviour did not differ between the study sites.

Recoveries of dead Procellariiformes made during 434 patrols along beaches in Southland, New Zealand, 1990 – 2000, were analysed to identify long-term trends and monthly patterns in recovery rates. Thirty-one species were recovered. Of 16 species for which >10 specimens were retrieved, there was evidence of between-year variation in recovery rates for six, and between-month variation for ten. Trends in annual recovery rates are suggestive of population changes. Trends in monthly recovery rates for most species were similar to those observed on a national scale, and can be explained by known seasonal movements of the species.

Many Pterodroma species are threatened, and translocations to predator-free islands are desirable for several species. As these birds are highly philopatric, only chicks that have not yet imprinted on their natal colony should be transferred but techniques to identify suitably aged Pterodroma nestlings are needed. We investigated feeding frequency, meal size and chick growth in Pycroft’s petrel (P. pycrofti) on Red Mercury Island, New Zealand to provide this information. Mean daily probability of being fed decreased from 0.47 60-23 days before fledging to 0.004 in the last seven days before fledging. Mean meal size was 34 g and morphometric measurements at fledging were similar to mean adult measurements. The best indicator of chick age was wing length. Transferable Pycroft’s petrel chicks should have wings measuring 149 – 184 mm and weigh 218 – 250 g.

Specimens of 12 species of birds from New Zealand and the Society Islands collected during Cook’s second voyage round the world (1772-1775) were described and illustrated by Anders Sparrman in Museum Carlsonianum (1786-1789). The Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm holds six specimens considered to be type specimens of some of those species. However, documentation discussed here indicates only three, spotted shag (Stictocarbo punctatus) and red-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae novaezelandiae) from New Zealand, and Tahiti lorikeet (Vini peruviana) from the Society Islands, are type specimens.