Publications Archive

A post-breeding flock of New Zealand Dotterels was monitored for 3.5 years at a site on the east coast of Northland, New Zealand. The pattern of flocking and dispersal was the same each year; the flock began to form in January and was at peak numbers in February and March. Birds began to return to their breeding grounds in late March, and two-thirds of those that bred away from the flock site had left by the end of April. Individual colour- banding showed a very high degree of breeding-site and flock-site fidelity. All the adults in the flock bred within a 16 km radius (the central study area) and none was found outside this area during the study. All adults in the central study area visited the flock each year; however, at two other localities in the greater study area a few birds were entirely sedentary on their breeding grounds and did not visit a flock. Breeding territories of birds resident at the flock site changed little between seasons. Unlike many migratory members of the genus Charadrius, NZ Dotterels of the northern population showed very high mate-retention from one season to the next, with both members of a pair usually occupying their territory for much of the year.

Results of 3499 10 min counts and other shipboard observations made during 27 voyages between Reunion, Mauritius and the subantarctic showed pronounced seasonal variation in the distribution of Barau’s Petrel. Rare south of 20°S in July – August, it appeared in numbers off Reunion by September, and remained mostly confined to tropical waters north of 25°S until November. From December to March, the range of this tropical breeding petrel expanded far south into subtropical waters, with a major foraging zone 1100-1400 km from Reunion. The southernmost record was beyond 41°S. The summer population in the SW Indian Ocean is estimated at 9000-15000 individuals. In tropical waters, Barau’s Petrels feed almost exclusively in multispecies flocks and apparently mostly on schooling fish. Topics of discussion include population trends, migration, foraging radius, and distribution in relation to breeding status and food resources.

Although the New Zealand fernbirds were long maintained in their own genus Bowdleria, some authors have recently submerged them in the Australasian genus Megalurus. The osteology of the fernbirds shows them to be very distinct, however, so that the genus Bowdleria is fully justified. The skull of Bowdleria is most similar to that of Amphilais (“Dromaeocercus”) seebohmi of Madagascar and these two species are similar in plumage and tail structure as well. A particularly close relationship between Bowdleria and Megalurus may thus be doubted. Bowdleria is characterized by reduced elements of the wing and pectoral girdle, and a strikingly modified pelvis combined with very robust hindlimb elements. This functional complex of the hindlimb is quite unlike any of the presumed close relatives of Bowdleria, but convergent similarities are identified in several other passerine groups. On the basis of plumage and osteology. Bowdleria rufescens of the Chatham Islands is a very distinct species from B. punctata.

Please note:  This newsletter is a Supplement to Volume 34 (1) of Notornis, not a Supplement to Volume 54 (1) as shown on the cover page.  We apologise for this error.

Four species of Pterodroma petrel (P. macroptera, P. cervicalis, P. pycrofti and P. nigrippenis) responded strongly to human calls (termed by us the “war-whoop” method). This response was greater in the larger species and included the following behaviour: more frequent calling, movement towards the observer, and fighting. The level of response in P. macroptera was greatest during courtship and incubation and decreased during the chick rearing stage. Our findings support Warham’s (1988) hypothesis that mainly unpaired birds respond to human calls and that the birds associate these sounds with sexual advertisement.

Attempts to re-establish Wekas, Brown Kiwis and Red-crowned Parakeets in the Waitakere Ranges were made between 1976 and 1986. None appears to have been successful, although Wekas did breed at Huia for several seasons.