Black-Winged Stilt

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Black-winged Stilt Description The Black-winged Stilt has a mostly white body with areas of black on the wings and the back of the head. They have very long and skinny reddish-pink legs and a long, but thin black bill. Fast Facts Diet Black-winged Stilts are carnivores. They use their sharp bills to peck and ingest only very small food such as molluscs, miniscule crustaceans, algae, flies and aquatic insects. Other Names: Pied Stilt, White-headed Stilt, In the wild Longshanks, Dog-bird Both parents of young Black-winged Stilts are responsible for incubating the Scientific Name: himantopus himantopus eggs. Like most birds, they are also very protective of their eggs, grouping leucocephalus together to ward off intruders. Once hatched, the young can leave the nest within a few hours, although they stay with their parents for another month. Conservation Status: Least Concern Extinct Threatened Least Concern Threats Habitat destruction, which disturbs their feeding and breeding habits, is the EX NT EW EN VU NT LC main threat to the Black-winged Stilt. At Perth Zoo Body Length: 33–39 cm Black-winged Stilts can be found in the Australian Wetlands exhibit and the Weight: 165–200 g Birds of the South-west aviary. Incubation: 22–25 days Number of eggs: 2–4 DID YOU KNOW? Habitat: Shallow, freshwater wetlands In order to keep predators away from their Distribution: Australia, New Zealand, Papua unhatched eggs, a Black-winged Stilt pretends New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sir Lanka, and the Philippines to be injured so it can lure the predator away. The stilt can also make a sharp yapping sound and fly around frantically to distract any predators. Distribution.

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Growth Patterns of Hawaiian Stilt Chicks
Wilson Bull., 11 l(4), 1999, pp. 478487 GROWTH PATTERNS OF HAWAIIAN STILT CHICKS J. MICHAEL REED,,2,8‘ ELIZABETH M. GRAY,334 DIANNE LEWIS3 LEWIS W. ORING,3 RICHARD COLEMAN,5 TIMOTHY BURR,6 AND PETER LUSCOMB7 ABSTRACT-We studied chick growth and plumage patterns in the endangered Hawaiian Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni). Body mass of captive chicks closely fit a Gompertz growth curve, revealing a growth coefficient (K) of 0.065 day- ’ and point of inflection (T) of 17 days. When chicks fledged about 28 days after hatching, they weighed only 60% of adult body mass; at 42 d, birds still were only 75% of adult mass; culmen, tarsus, and wing chord at fledging also were less than adult size. This trend of continued growth to adult size after fledging is typical for most shorebirds. After hatching, captive chicks grew more rapidly than wild chicks, probably because of an unlimited food supply. We found no evidence for adverse effects of weather on the growth of wild chicks. As with other shorebirds, the tarsus started relatively long, with culmen and then wing chord growing more rapidly in later development. Tarsal and wing chord growth were sigmoidal, whereas culmen growth was linear. We describe plumage characteristics of weekly age classes of chicks to help researchers age birds in the wild. Received 28 Dec. 1998, accepted 20 April 1999. Avian growth patterns have been studied (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni), a precocial primarily because of their relationships to the bird that is an endangered subspecies of the ecology and evolutionary history of different Black-necked Stilt.
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The Impact of Predation by Introduced Mammals on Endemic Shorebirds in New Zealand: a Conservation Perspective
Biological Conservation 99 (2001) 47±64 www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon The impact of predation by introduced mammals on endemic shorebirds in New Zealand: a conservation perspective John E. Dowding a,*, Elaine C. Murphy b aPO Box 36-274, Merivale, Christchurch 8030, New Zealand bScience and Research Unit, Department of Conservation, Private Bag 4715, Christchurch, New Zealand Abstract The avifauna of New Zealand has been severely depleted since human colonisation and currently contains a disproportionately high number of threatened species. Of the 23 threatened shorebird species worldwide, six are endemic to New Zealand. We review the status of New Zealand's endemic shorebirds and examine the impact on them of various threats, particularly predation by introduced mammals. The conservation status of the 10 extant species (three oystercatchers, one stilt, four plovers and two snipe) is outlined and the factors that predisposed them to predation by introduced mammals are summarised. Individual species accounts are presented, including data on population trends, known or suspected impacts of predation, identi®cation of important predator species, other threats, and conservation measures currently in place or required. One species and two subspecies are extinct, three species are con®ned to predator-free islands and another is found only on the Chatham Islands group. Six survive on the mainland but three have declined to varying degrees and are assigned threatened status by Collar et al. (1994). Only one plover and two oystercatchers are still relatively numerous and/or widespread. Rats, cats and mustelids have had the greatest overall impacts. Conservation measures in place to mitigate the eects of introduced predators include the formulation of recovery plans, predator control around breeding areas, captive breeding and rearing programmes and the founding of new populations by translocation.
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West Papua Expedition
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Order CHARADRIIFORMES: Waders, Gulls and Terns Family
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 191 & 211-212. Order CHARADRIIFORMES: Waders, Gulls and Terns The family sequence of Christidis & Boles (1994), who adopted that of Sibley et al. (1988) and Sibley & Monroe (1990), is followed here. Family RECURVIROSTRIDAE Bonaparte: Stilts and Avocets Subfamily RECURVIROSTRINAE Bonaparte: Stilts and Avocets Recurvirostrinae Bonaparte, 1831: Saggio dist. Metodica Anim. Vert.: 59 – Type genus Recurvirostra Linnaeus, 1758. Genus Himantopus Brisson Himantopus Brisson, 1760: Ornithologie 1: 46, 5: 33 – Type species (by tautonymy) Charadrius himantopus Linnaeus = Himantopus himantopus (Linnaeus). Hypsibates Nitzsch, 1827: in Ersch & Gruber, Allgem. Ency. Wiss. Künste 16: 150 – Type species (by monotypy) Charadrius himantopus Linnaeus = Himantopus himantopus (Linnaeus). Himantopus himantopus (Linnaeus) Pied Stilt Charadrius Himantopus Linnaeus, 1758: Syst. Nat., 10th edition 1: 151 – southern Europe. Almost cosmopolitan, five subspecies recognised. Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus Gould Pied Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus Gould, 1837: Synop. Birds Australia 2: pl. 34 (fide McAllan 2004, Notornis 51: 127) – New South Wales, Australia. Himantopus albus Ellman, 1861: Zoologist 19: 7470 – New Zealand. Himantopus picatus Ellman, 1861: Zoologist 19: 7470 – New Zealand. Himantopus albicollis Buller, 1875: Trans. Proc. N.Z. Inst. 7: 224 – Orari, Canterbury. Junior primary homonym of Himantopus albicollis Vieillot, 1817. Himantopus seebohmi picata Ellman; Hartert 1891, Kat. Vogel. Mus. Senckenb. Natur. Gesell. Frankfurt Main: 220.
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The Maintenance and Reproductive Behaviour of Black Stilts
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 pennission of the Author. The Maintenance and Reproductive Behaviour of Black Stilts (Himantopus novaezealandiae) in Captivity, and Implications for the Management of this Rare Species. A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Zoology at Massey University Christine Elva Margaret Reed February 1986 ii ABSTRACT In an effort to conserve New Zealand's rarest endemic wading species, the black stilt (Himantopus novaezealandiae), eggs were removed from the wild in October 1979 for establishment of a captive breeding population. Eight chicks fledged following artificial incubation and hand-rearing at the National Wildlife Centre near Masterton. At two years of age, these tentatively sexed stilts were formed into pairs and housed in large outdoor enclosures. I studied their behaviour from December 1982 until February 1986, aiming to i) collate an ethogram for the species under the restrictions of a captive environment ii) describe and quantify behavioural activity, especially that of reproductive behaviour and breeding biology iii) describe vocalisations and iv) on the basis of observed behaviour, examine captive breeding as a management option for black stilts. A repertoire of 38 context-specific behavioural patterns were observed throughout the year and a further 15 stereo-typed species-typical nest-building, copulatory, incubation and chick-rearing patterns occurred during the breeding season. Time-budget analysis of a focal pair of stilts showed foraging and immobility to be the predominant daily activities, peaking during the pre-nesting period.
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BLACK STILT RECOVERY PLAN (Himantopus Novaezealandiae)
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Conservation Status of New Zealand Birds, 2008
Notornis, 2008, Vol. 55: 117-135 117 0029-4470 © The Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Inc. Conservation status of New Zealand birds, 2008 Colin M. Miskelly* Wellington Conservancy, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 5086, Wellington 6145, New Zealand [email protected] JOHN E. DOWDING DM Consultants, P.O. Box 36274, Merivale, Christchurch 8146, New Zealand GRAEME P. ELLIOTT Research & Development Group, Department of Conservation, Private Bag 5, Nelson 7042, New Zealand RODNEY A. HITCHMOUGH RALPH G. POWLESLAND HUGH A. ROBERTSON Research & Development Group, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 10420, Wellington 6143, New Zealand PAUL M. SAGAR National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 8602, Christchurch 8440, New Zealand R. PAUL SCOFIELD Canterbury Museum, Rolleston Ave, Christchurch 8001, New Zealand GRAEME A. TAYLOR Research & Development Group, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 10420, Wellington 6143, New Zealand Abstract An appraisal of the conservation status of the post-1800 New Zealand avifauna is presented. The list comprises 428 taxa in the following categories: ‘Extinct’ 20, ‘Threatened’ 77 (comprising 24 ‘Nationally Critical’, 15 ‘Nationally Endangered’, 38 ‘Nationally Vulnerable’), ‘At Risk’ 93 (comprising 18 ‘Declining’, 10 ‘Recovering’, 17 ‘Relict’, 48 ‘Naturally Uncommon’), ‘Not Threatened’ (native and resident) 36, ‘Coloniser’ 8, ‘Migrant’ 27, ‘Vagrant’ 130, and ‘Introduced and Naturalised’ 36. One species was assessed as ‘Data Deficient’. The list uses the New Zealand Threat Classification System, which provides greater resolution of naturally uncommon taxa typical of insular environments than the IUCN threat ranking system. New Zealand taxa are here ranked at subspecies level, and in some cases population level, when populations are judged to be potentially taxonomically distinct on the basis of genetic data or morphological observations.
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Differences in Susceptibility to Predation During Nesting Between Pied and Black Stilts (Himantopus Spp.)
DIFFERENCES IN SUSCEPTIBILITY TO PREDATION DURING NESTING BETWEEN PIED AND BLACK STILTS (HIMANTOPUS SPP.) RAYMOND J. PIERCE1 Departmentof Zoology,University of Otago,Dunedin, New Zealand ABSTRACT.--Thenesting success of the Pied Stilt (Himantopushimantopus leucocephalus) and the endangeredBlack Stilt (H. novaezealandiae)was studiedfor three consecutivebreeding seasons(1977-1979) in New Zealand. Black Stilts had a breeding successof lessthan t%, comparedwith over 8% for Pied Stilts. Predation by fetal mammalswas the main causeof nest failure for both species,but the impact was greater on Black Stilts. Direct and indirect evidence (including trapping predators)suggests that these introduced ground predators kill manychicks. Several factors made Black Stilts vulnerable, particularly their nestingalong streambanks that were often frequentedby predators;Pied Stiltsnested in swampswhere predatorswere few. BlackStilt chickstook up to 2 weekslonger to fledgeand their foraging patternsmade them more vulnerablethan Pied Stilt chicks.Other factorsthat possibly increasedpredation risk of BlackStilts include nestingat times of high predatoractivity, solitarynesting, high site fidelity, ineffectivedistraction displays, and lack of a disruptive camouflagepattern in adults.Introduced ground predators probably have contributed great- ly to the declineof BlackStilts. Pied Stiltshave not beenaffected similarly, because their evolutionarypast has included long exposureto groundpredators. Received 27 February1984, acceptedI July 1985. Two speciesof stilts
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Of the Inner Hauraki Gulf
34 N.l. ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY Some Notes on the Sea-Birds and Shore-Birds of the Inner Hauraki Gulf R. B. Sibson The narrow isthmus on which Auckland catcher (Haemutopus reischeki) now nest- stands, deeply penetrated by creeks and in- ing within fifty miles of Auckland are very lets, and the inner Hauraki Gulf with its small but a few breeding pairs linger on many islands and estuaries, are frequented quiet stretches of beach. Otherwise the bird by great numbers of shore-birds and sea- life of the coast remains rich. Some species, birds, both for breeding and feeding. The notably black-backed and red-bi1led gulls, region under discussion is situated-between the pied stilt and probably the white-faced other areas which are well-known for the heron have benefitted from pakeha civilisa- richness of their bird life. Manukau Har- tion. By scavenging on man's waste the gulls bour, to the south-west, and the Firth of appear to be surviving the winter in greater Thames, to the south-east, are unrivalled in numbers than formerly. Even so there is New Zealand for the number and variety of still a heavy mortality of young black-backed waders (charadriiformes) which feed on gulls in their first autumn, many evidently the eutrophic ooze of their tidal flats. To dying of starvation when left to fend for the north are the numerous outer islands themselves. Despite scavenging, the popula- of the Hauraki Gulf on which besides pen- tion seems to have. outstripped the food guins, gulls, terns, shags and gannets, twelve supply.
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Shorebird Stories the Stilts
SHOREBIRD STORIES THE STILTS Up until the 1840’s the only stilts in NZ were black stilts or kaki. They were very common and found all over NZ in a number of different habitats. We think that they migrated from Australia many thousands of years ago. In the beginning they were very similar in appearance to the pied stilt/poaka that is common in NZ today. We cannot be sure just why kaki became black in colour. We do know that black plumage turns more of the suns light into heat. This would have been very useful during an ice age, increasing the chances of survival. The last ice age finished over 10,000 years ago but it did last for 70-80,000 years. Perhaps kaki lived through one or more ice ages and evolved from pied (black and white) to black. Keith Woodley watercolour Coming from Australia those initial birds would have been very wary of mammalian predators. Over many thousands of years this wariness was lost, because there were no mammalian predators in NZ. The arrival of man and his cats, rats and other mammalian predators pushed the unwary kaki to the brink of extinction. By 1900 no kaki could be found in the North Island. By 1980 they were breeding in just one location, the McKenzie Country of the South Island. The McKenzie country is plagued by rabbits and this can be good for kaki. The predators would rather eat rabbits than stilt. When the farmers shoot or poison the rabbits the hungry predators look for other food.
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Sulawesi & Moluccas Extension: August-September 2015
Tropical Birding Trip Report Sulawesi & Moluccas Extension: August-September 2015 A Tropical Birding set departure tour Sulawesi (Indonesia): & The Moluccas Extension (Halmahera) Birding the Edge of “Wallace’s Line” Minahassa Masked-Owl Tangkoko This tour was incredible for nightbirds; 9 owls, 5 nightjars, and 1 owlet-nightjar all seen. This bird was entirely unexpected; rarely seen at night; we were very fortunate to see in the daytime. Voted as one of the top five birds of the tour. 15th August – 4th September 2015 Tour Leaders: Sam Woods & Theo Henoch “At the same time, the character of its natural history proves it to be a rather ancient land, since it possesses a number of animals peculiar to itself or common to small islands around it, but almost always distinct from those of New Guinea on the east, of Ceram (now Seram) on the south, and of Celebes (now Sulawesi) and the Sula islands on the west.” 1 www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-0514 [email protected] Page Tropical Birding Trip Report Sulawesi & Moluccas Extension: August-September 2015 British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, writing on Golilo (now called Halmahera), in the “Malay Archipelago: The Land of the Orang-Utan, and the Bird of Paradise. A Narrative of Travel, with studies of Man and Nature.” in 1869 Acclaimed British naturalist (and co-conspirator with Charles Darwin on the development of the theory of evolution of species by natural selection), Alfred Russel Wallace spoke of the “peculiar”, and it was indeed the peculiar, or ENDEMIC, which was the undoubted focus of this tour.
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2008 Federal Register, 73 FR 3145; Centralized Library: U.S. Fish And
Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Part III Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Rule To List Six Foreign Birds as Endangered; Final Rule VerDate Aug<31>2005 19:38 Jan 15, 2008 Jkt 214001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\16JAR3.SGM 16JAR3 jlentini on PROD1PC65 with RULES3 3146 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 11 / Wednesday, January 16, 2008 / Rules and Regulations DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR following receipt of the petition and January 9, 1986 (51 FR 996), we found published promptly in the Federal that listing 54 species from the 1980 Fish and Wildlife Service Register. If we find that the petition has petition, including the black stilt and presented substantial information the long-legged thicketbird, continued 50 CFR Part 17 indicating that the requested action may to be warranted but precluded, whereas [FWS–R1–JA–2008–007; 96100–1671–000; be warranted (a positive finding), new information caused us to find that 1018–AT62] section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act requires us listing four other species in the 1980 to commence a status review of the petition was no longer warranted. We Endangered and Threatened Wildlife species if one has not already been published additional annual notices on and Plants; Final Rule To List Six initiated under our internal candidate the species included in the 1980 Foreign Birds as Endangered assessment process. In addition, section petition on July 7, 1988 (53 FR 25511); 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act requires us to make December 29, 1988 (53 FR 52746); April AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, a finding within 12 months following 25, 1990 (55 FR 17475); and November Interior.
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