Kiwi Or Kiwis Are Flightless Birds Native to New Zealand, in the Genus Apteryx and Family Apterygidae
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New Zealand Comprehensive II Trip Report 31St October to 16Th November 2016 (17 Days)
New Zealand Comprehensive II Trip Report 31st October to 16th November 2016 (17 days) The Critically Endangered South Island Takahe by Erik Forsyth Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Erik Forsyth RBL New Zealand – Comprehensive II Trip Report 2016 2 Tour Summary New Zealand is a must for the serious seabird enthusiast. Not only will you see a variety of albatross, petrels and shearwaters, there are multiple- chances of getting out on the high seas and finding something unusual. Seabirds dominate this tour and views of most birds are alongside the boat. There are also several land birds which are unique to these islands: kiwis - terrestrial nocturnal inhabitants, the huge swamp hen-like Takahe - prehistoric in its looks and movements, and wattlebirds, the saddlebacks and Kokako - poor flyers with short wings Salvin’s Albatross by Erik Forsyth which bound along the branches and on the ground. On this tour we had so many highlights, including close encounters with North Island, South Island and Little Spotted Kiwi, Wandering, Northern and Southern Royal, Black-browed, Shy, Salvin’s and Chatham Albatrosses, Mottled and Black Petrels, Buller’s and Hutton’s Shearwater and South Island Takahe, North Island Kokako, the tiny Rifleman and the very cute New Zealand (South Island wren) Rockwren. With a few members of the group already at the hotel (the afternoon before the tour started), we jumped into our van and drove to the nearby Puketutu Island. Here we had a good introduction to New Zealand birding. Arriving at a bay, the canals were teeming with Black Swans, Australasian Shovelers, Mallard and several White-faced Herons. -
New Zealand Comprehensive III 16Th November – 2Nd December 2017 Trip Report
New Zealand Comprehensive III 16th November – 2nd December 2017 Trip Report Gibson’s Wandering Albatross off Kaikoura by Erik Forsyth Trip Report compiled by Tour Leader Erik Forsyth Rockjumper Birding Tours | New Zealand www.rockjumperbirding.com Trip Report – RBL New Zealand - Comprehensive III 2017 2 Daily Diary New Zealand is a must for the serious seabird enthusiast. Not only will you see a variety of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, but there are good chances of getting out on the high seas and finding something unusual. Seabirds dominate this tour, and views of most birds are right alongside the boat. There are also several land birds which are unique to these islands: the kiwis – terrestrial nocturnal inhabitants; the huge swamp-hen like takahe – prehistoric in its looks and movements; and then the wattlebirds (the saddlebacks and kokako) – poor flyers with short wings, which bound along the branches and on the ground. We had so many highlights on this tour, including close encounters with Little Spotted Kiwi, walk-away views of a pair of North Island Kokako, both North and South Island Saddlebacks and a pair of the impressive South Island Takahe. With many boat trips, the pelagic list was long, with Wandering, Northern and Southern Royal, Salvin’s, Black-browed, Campbell and White-capped Albatrosses, Westland, Cook’s and White- chinned Petrels, Buller’s, Flesh-footed and New Zealand (Red-breasted) Plover by Erik Forsyth Hutton’s Shearwaters, and Common Diving Petrel being a few of the highlights. Other major highlights included twelve New Zealand King Shag, a pair of Blue Duck with one chick, nine of the critically endangered Black Stilt, the rare Stitchbird, New Zealand Kaka, the entertaining Kea, range- restricted New Zealand Rockwren, the tiny Rifleman and lastly the striking Yellowhead, to name a few. -
To Download the Creamer's Field Student Activity Book
Creamer's Field Student Activity Book Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge Fairbanks, Alaska Page 2 Alaska Songbird Institute Table of Contents Introduction Waterfowl (Geese & Ducks) Welcome to the new Creamer's Field Greater White-fronted Goose...........4 Student Activity Book! This book Canada Goose...................................5 includes a coloring guide to many Mallard.............................................6 of the common birds you can see at Northern Pintail................................7 Creamer's Field. It also includes some Birds of Prey (Raptors) pages to use in school and at home. Bald Eagle........................................8 Peregrine Falcon...............................9 We hope that you will remember to Cranes bring it with you every time you visit Sandhill Crane.................................10 Creamer's Field and to share what you Flycatchers have learned with others! Alder Flycatcher...............................11 Chickadees If you have feedback or questions, Black-capped Chickadee..................12 please contact the Alaska Songbird Kinglets Institute. This book and other Ruby-crowned Kinglet.....................13 educational materials are available Thrushes on our website at: Swainson’s Thrush...........................14 http://aksongbird.org. American Robin...............................15 Warblers This book was provided for you by Orange-crowned Warbler.................16 the Alaska Songbird Institute with support from Yellow-rumped Warbler...................17 the Alaska Department -
The Triumphs, Challenges and Failures of Young North Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx Mantelli): a Study of Behaviour, Growth, Dispersal and Mortality
Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. The triumphs, challenges and failures of young North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli): a study of behaviour, growth, dispersal and mortality Stephanie Walden A thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Zoology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand Alexandra Louise Wilson 2013 i ii Abstract North Island brown kiwi (NIBK, Apteryx mantelli), an endemic New Zealand species, are estimated to have declined by 90% from pre-human colonisation numbers. Currently, at least 60% of mortality is attributed to introduced mammalian predators, namely stoats (Mustela erminea) preying on chicks. Therefore, conservation effort focuses on predator trapping/killing, and hatching and rearing NIBK chicks in captivity and releasing them back into the wild. These efforts are resulting in increased recruitment of chicks into populations. However, little is known about the biology and behaviour of NIBK chicks in the wild and how this may affect management of these populations. Consequently, the aim of this study was to examine the ecology of young wild NIBK in a natural high density population with reduced predator diversity on Ponui Island. More specifically, the goal was to determine their growth rates, behaviour around the natal nest, dispersal and mortality, and how these factors may be influenced by environmental variables. During the 2010 - 2011 and 2011 - 2012 breeding seasons 29 young NIBK were observed from hatching until mortality or the end of 2012. -
Weight and Size Variation in the Gray Catbird
WEIGHT AND SIZE VARIATION IN THE GRAY CATBIRD BY GILBERT S. RAYNOR INTRODUCTION Weights of wild birds fluctuate becauseof various activity patterns governed by either internal or external stimuli. Important short time- scaleactivities include locomotion,feeding, and defecation;those on a longer time-scaleinclude migration, reproduction, and molt. Stimuli controllingthese activitiesinclude day length, temperature, hunger, fright, and many others, someoperating directly and others indirectly. Weight changesin living birds provide cluesto other aspectsof their biology,to environmentalstresses, and to the longer-periodactivities in which the speciesor individualis engaged. Becauseof the many variablesdetermining the instantaneousweight of a bird and the limited number of times a wild bird can be captured and weighed(particularly without inadvertently influencing the weight), usefulinformation on cyclicalor systematicchanges can best be obtained from statisticalanalyses of large numbersof weightstaken throughout the duration of the cycleof interest.This paper presentsan analysisof weightvariation in the Gray Catbird (Dumetellacarolinensis) and relates thesevariations to time of day and year, activitypatterns, age, and sex. In contrastto weight, linear measurementsof individual birds are relativelyconstant after full growth is attained.Some change takes place in wing and tail length by wear betweenmolts but this is typicallyslow and gradual (Blake, 1971). Thus, sizeof the Catbird is documentedby age and sex but related only to season. Many authorshave reported bird weightsand several(Baldwin and Kendeigh, 1938; Becker and Stack, 1944; Wiseman, 1975) have ana- lyzedtheir data by age, sex,time of day or season.Most data were taken from living birds but somefrom tower kills (Graber and Graber, 1962; Tordoff and Mengel, 1956). Causesof weight changesand their signif- icance have been discussedpreviously (Nice, 1938; Blake, 1956). -
New Zealand Passerines Help Clarify the Diversification of Major Songbird Lineages During the Oligocene
GBE New Zealand Passerines Help Clarify the Diversification of Major Songbird Lineages during the Oligocene Gillian C. Gibb1,*,y, Ryan England2,4,y, Gerrit Hartig2,5, Patricia A. (Trish) McLenachan2, Briar L. Taylor Smith1, Bennet J. McComish2,6, Alan Cooper3, and David Penny2 1Ecology Group, Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand 2Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand 3Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia 4Present address: Forensic Business Group, Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR Ltd.), Mt Albert Science Centre, Auckland, New Zealand 5Present address: Starlims Germany GmbH An Abbott Company, Witten, Germany 6Present address: School of Physical Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]. yThese authors contributed equally to this work. Accepted: October 7, 2015 Data deposition: This project has been deposited at GenBank under the accession numbers KC545397-KC545409, KT894672. Abstract Passerines are the largest avian order, and the 6,000 species comprise more than half of all extant bird species. This successful radiation probably had its origin in the Australasian region, but dating this origin has been difficult due to a scarce fossil record and poor biogeographic assumptions. Many of New Zealand’s endemic passerines fall within the deeper branches of the passerine radiation, and a well resolved phylogeny for the modern New Zealand element in the deeper branches of the oscine lineage will help us understand both oscine and passerine biogeography. To this end we present complete mitochondrial genomes representing all families of New Zealand passerines in a phylogenetic framework of over 100 passerine species. -
Songbird Use of Native and Invasive Fruit in the Northeastern USA
Wildlife Society Bulletin 44(3):570–578; 2020; DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1113 Original Article Songbird Use of Native and Invasive Fruit in the Northeastern USA MICHELLE A. LABBÉ, Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA DAVID I. KING,1 U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Northern Research Station, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA ABSTRACT Fruit is consumed by songbirds, yet whether or not it comprises an important component of habitat quality depends on the extent to which it is used by birds. In addition, there is evidence fruits of exotic invasive species may be nutritionally inferior to fruits of native species, so the influence of plant invasion on bird body condition is of interest to managers. Birds that consume invasive fruits may also serve as seed vectors, and consumption of fruits of invasive species may exacerbate invasion. Thus, the extent to which songbirds consume fruits of native versus invasive plant species, influence of plant invasion on bird body condition, and extent to which birds exhibit foraging behaviors that elevate their potential to act as dispersers of invasive species have important implications for habitat management. To understand bird use of native and invasive fruits and the potential role of birds in dispersing invasive plants, we observed bird foraging, measured body condition indices of birds captured in mist nets, measured available fruits of native and invasive plants, and calculated indices of seed dispersal for bird species based on fruit handling and consumption, within 16 shrubland sites in western Massachusetts, USA. Our findings indicate that birds use fruit extensively (57% of foraging events), use varied among species, and frugivorous species at our sites generally chose the fruit of native species, especially Prunus, over fruits of invasive species. -
Bird-Friendly Building Guide
Bird-Friendly Building Design Vassar’s Bridge for Laboratory Sciences, shown here under construction in October 2015. The building is scheduled to open in January 2016. Cover rendering and photos courtesy of Ennead Architects Cover rendering and photo this page: The new Bridge for Laboratory Sciences building at Vassar College, designed by Richard Olcott/Ennead Architects, redefines the identity of the sciences on the College’s historic campus and provides technologically advanced facilities for students, faculty, and researchers. Fundamental to the building’s design is its seamless integration with the natural landscape, scale, and campus aesthetic of the College. In this natural wooded setting, the need for strategies to reduce bird collisions with the building was apparent. In response, the building was designed to comply with LEED Pilot Credit 55: Bird Collision Deterrence. Ennead managing partner Guy Maxwell is a nationally recognized champion of bird-friendly design and has led Ennead’s innovative approach to make the building’s glazing safer for birds, employing patterned glass, screens and sunshades, and Ornilux glass, a specialty glass product that uses a UV coating visible to birds but not humans. By framing and showcasing views of the landscape, the building celebrates and connects students with the surrounding environment, while the overall development of the precinct repurposes an Exterior glass detail Glass detail, showing frit pattern underutilized sector of campus. Table of Contents Executive Summary ...........................................................4 -
Species List
P.O. Box 16545 Portal, AZ 85632 Phone 520.558.1146/558.7781 Toll free 800.426.7781 Fax 650.471.7667 Email [email protected] [email protected] New Zealand Nature & Birding Tour January 5 – 18, 2016 With Steward Island Extension January 18 – 21, 2016 2016 New Zealand Bird List Southern Brown Kiwi – We got to see three of these antiques on Ocean Beach Black Swan – Where there were large bodies of freshwater, there were swans Canada Goose – Introduced, common, and spreading in the country Graylag Goose – Always a few around lakes that folks frequent Paradise Shelduck – Very numerous at the Mangere Water Treatment Plant Blue Duck – Very good looks at eight of these at the Whakapapa Intake Mallard – One adult male at Mangere was our best look Pacific Grey Duck – A number of the birds at Mangere appeared to be pure Australian Shoveler – Three females right alongside the road at Mangere Gray Teal – Quite a few at Mangere and at other locations Brown Teal – Not easy, but we got to see them on our first day out at Mangere New Zealand Scaup – A few at Waimangu Volcanic area in old crater lakes Yellow-eyed Penguin – Saw three total with the best being the twenty-minute preener Little Penguin – Probably saw about twenty of these, both on land and in the water Fiordland Penguin – Only one seen off of Stewart Island California Quail – Spotted sporadically throughout the trip Ring-necked Pheasant – First one was alongside the road Turkey – Seen in fields once every couple of days on the North Island Weka – A number of individuals around the -
Passerines: Perching Birds
3.9 Orders 9: Passerines – perching birds - Atlas of Birds uncorrected proofs 3.9 Atlas of Birds - Uncorrected proofs Copyrighted Material Passerines: Perching Birds he Passeriformes is by far the largest order of birds, comprising close to 6,000 P Size of order Cardinal virtues Insect-eating voyager Multi-purpose passerine Tspecies. Known loosely as “perching birds”, its members differ from other Number of species in order The Northern or Common Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) The Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) was The Common Magpie (Pica pica) belongs to the crow family orders in various fine anatomical details, and are themselves divided into suborders. Percentage of total bird species belongs to the cardinal family (Cardinalidae) of passerines. once thought to be a member of the thrush family (Corvidae), which includes many of the larger passerines. In simple terms, however, and with a few exceptions, passerines can be described Like the various tanagers, grosbeaks and other members (Turdidae), but is now known to belong to the Old World Like many crows, it is a generalist, with a robust bill adapted of this diverse group, it has a thick, strong bill adapted to flycatchers (Muscicapidae). Its narrow bill is adapted to to feeding on anything from small animals to eggs, carrion, as small birds that sing. feeding on seeds and fruit. Males, from whose vivid red eating insects, and like many insect-eaters that breed in insects, and grain. Crows are among the most intelligent of The word passerine derives from the Latin passer, for sparrow, and indeed a sparrow plumage the family is named, are much more colourful northern Europe and Asia, this species migrates to Sub- birds, and this species is the only non-mammal ever to have is a typical passerine. -
The Division of the Major Songbird Radiation Into Passerida and 'Core
TheBlackwell Publishing Ltd division of the major songbird radiation into Passerida and ‘core Corvoidea’ (Aves: Passeriformes) — the species tree vs. gene trees MARTIN IRESTEDT & JAN I. OHLSON Submitted: 19 July 2007 Irestedt, M. & Ohlson, J. I. (2008). The division of the major songbird radiation into Passerida Accepted: 26 November 2007 and ‘core Corvoidea’ (Aves: Passeriformes) — the species tree vs. gene trees. — Zoologica doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2007.00321.x Scripta, 37, 305–313. The knowledge of evolutionary relationships among oscine songbirds has been largely improved in recent years by molecular phylogenetic studies. However, current knowledge is still largely based on sequence data from a limited number of loci. In this study, we re-evaluate relationships among basal lineages within the ‘core Corvoidea’ and Passerida radiations, by adding additional loci to previously published data. The trees obtained from the individual genes suggest incongruent topologies. Especially the positions of Callaeatidae (wattlebirds), Cnemophilidae (satinbirds) and Melanocharitidae (longbills and berrypeckers) vary among the trees, but RAG-1 is the only gene that unambiguously suggested a ‘core Corvoidea’ affinity for these taxa. Analyses of various combined data sets show that the phylogenetic positions for Callaeatidae, Cnemophilidae and Melanocharitidae largely depend on which genes that have been combined. As the RAG-1 gene has contributed to a majority of the phylogenetic information in previous studies, it has deeply influenced previous molecular affinities of these taxa. Based on the current data, we found a reasonable support for a Passerida affinity of Callaeatidae and Cnemophilidae, contrary to previous molecular studies. The position of Melanocharitidae is more unstable but a basal position among Passerida is congruent with a deletion observed in the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphodehydrogenase (GAPDH) loci. -
Field Guides Birding Tours New Zealand 2011
Field Guides Tour Report NEW ZEALAND 2011 Oct 27, 2011 to Nov 14, 2011 George Armistead & Andrew Crossland There must be a Wrybill in there somewhere! A huge flock of shorebirds takes flight at Miranda, one of NZ's premier shorebird sites. (Photo by guide George Armistead) Kia Ora, one and all! Our New Zealand 2011 adventure went off without a hitch. We arrived in Auckland fresh on the heels of the All Blacks victory in the Rugby World Cup, and found the kiwis in high spirits. This in spite of some anxiety over an upcoming national election, and an oil spill that had spoiled the shores of the Bay of Plenty. Combine these events with the recent earthquakes that had rocked Christchurch violently, and it indeed seemed a momentous time for those in New Zealand; residents and visitors alike. Perhaps blissfully oblivious to it all, the birds, thankfully, cooperated marvelously. New Zealand lived up to its reputation as a place harboring incredible, breath-taking scenery, and we enjoyed beautiful backdrops while soaking up sightings of unique strange landbirds, some of the world's rarest shorebirds, and of course a boatload of seabirds. Around Auckland, after tallying our first New Zealand Dotterels and Fernbirds, we went a-sea to visit the incomparable island of Tiritiri Matangi. We had many targets on this unique reserve, and were thankful to connect with nearly all of them. Nothing could top "Greg" the Takahe, but seeing some baby Blue (Little) Penguins in a nest and tallying a fantastic pair of Kokako, while being overrun with Tuis, Bellbirds, Stitchbirds and Saddlebacks was simply exhilarating.