Text extracted from Gill B.J.; Bell, B.D.; Chambers, G.K.; Medway, D.G.; Palma, R.L.; Scofield, R.P.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Worthy, T.H. 2010. Checklist of the birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th edition. Wellington, Te Papa Press and Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Pages 323 & 332.

Fossil Birds of New Zealand This Appendix lists birds recorded as fossils in New Zealand from sediments older than the Middle Pleistocene (≥1 Ma). It therefore includes material from the Kaimatira Pumice Sand of the Kai Iwi Group (Oxygen Isotope Stage 25–27, c. 1 Ma) found at Marton (Worthy 1997a). All younger fossil birds are members of the Recent fauna, are of species that persisted to human arrival and are covered in the main text. The pre-Pleistocene record of birds in New Zealand has until recently comprised mainly penguins, as reviewed by Fordyce (1991b). No marine taxa other than penguins and pelagornithids had been described, but rare procellariid bones were known (Worthy & Holdaway 2002). The record of Tertiary terrestrial avifauna was until recently restricted to two undescribed anatids from the Miocene of Otago (Fordyce 1991b). Renewed investigations of the Miocene deposits at St Bathans, Otago, have recovered a rich avifauna from lacustrine deposits comprising at least 24 taxa (Worthy et al. 2007). In addition to the taxa named below (a diving petrel and several waterfowl), the St Bathans Fauna includes the following unnamed taxa: ratite (eggshell), two rails (Rallidae), a possible aptornithid (?Aptornithidae), three parrots (Psittacidae), an eagle (Accipitridae), two pigeons (Columbidae), at least three waders (Charadriiformes), and several passerines (Passeriformes). The ages of several taxa have been revised in line with the revision of the New Zealand geological timescale (Cooper 2004).

Order COLUMBIFORMES: Pigeons and Doves Suborder COLUMBAE: Pigeons and Doves Family COLUMBIDAE Illiger: Pigeons and Doves Columbini Illiger, 1811: Prodromus Syst. Mamm. Avium: 243 – Type genus Columba Linnaeus, 1758.

Genus Rupephaps Worthy T., Hand, Worthy J., Tennyson & Scofield Rupephaps Worthy, T., Hand, Worthy J., Tennyson & Scofield, 2009: Auk 126: 651 – Type species (by original designation) Rupephaps taketake Worthy, T., Hand, Worthy J., Tennyson & Scofield.

Rupephaps taketake Worthy, T., Hand, Worthy J., Tennyson & Scofield St Bathans Pigeon Rupephaps taketake Worthy, T., Hand, Worthy J., Tennyson & Scofield, 2009: Auk 126: 651 – St Bathans, Central Otago.

Age uncertain, within Awamoan–Altonian Stages (upper Lower Miocene 19–16 Ma) in the St Bathans Fauna from the lower Bannockburn Formation, Manuherikia Group; near St Bathans, Central Otago, South Island (Worthy et al. 2007). The authors described this species as the sister to Hemiphaga (Worthy et al. 2009).