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Waders, Gulls and Terns Family CHARADRIIDAE Leach: Plovers

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Waders, Gulls and Terns Family CHARADRIIDAE Leach: Plovers 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, 213 & 220-221. 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 CHARADRIIDAE Leach: Plovers, Lapwings and Dotterels Subfamily CHARADRIINAE Leach: Plovers and Dotterels Charadriadae Leach, 1820: Eleventh room. In Synopsis Contents British Museum 17th Edition, London: 69 – Type genus Charadrius Linnaeus, 1758. Christidis & Boles (1994) based their sequence of genera in the Charadriidae on Christian et al. (1992). Within each genus, they followed the sequence of species in Hayman et al. (1986) and Sibley & Monroe (1990). The same sequences are followed here. Genus Thinornis G.R. Gray Thinornis G.R. Gray, 1845: in Richardson & J.E. Gray (eds), Zool. Voy. ‘Erebus’ & ‘Terror’, Birds 1(8): 11 – Type species (by monotypy) Thinornis rossii G.R. Gray = Thinornis novaeseelandiae (Gmelin). Thinornis novaeseelandiae (Gmelin) Shore Plover Charadrius novae Seelandiae Gmelin, 1789: Syst. Nat., 13th edition 1(2): 684. Based on the “New Zealand Plover”of Latham 1785, Gen. Synop. Birds 3(1): 206, pl. 83 – Dusky Sound, Fiordland (fide Medway 2008 [2007], Notornis 54: 116). Charadrius Dudoroa Wagler, 1827: Syst. Avium, Charad.: sp. 14 – New Zealand. Charadrius Torquatula J.R. Forster, 1829: in J.G. Wagler, Isis von Oken, Heft 6: col. 652 – Dusky Sound, Fiordland (fide Medway 2008 [2007], Notornis 54: 116). Hiaticula Novae Seelandiae (Gmelin); G.R. Gray 1843, in E. Dieffenbach, Travels in N.Z. 2: 195. Thinornis novae seelandiae (Gmelin); G.R.Gray 1845, in Richardson & J.E. Gray (eds), Zool. Voy. ‘Erebus’ & ‘Terror’, Birds 1(8): 12, pl. 11. Thinornis Rossii G.R. Gray, 1845: in Richardson & J.E. Gray (eds), Zool. Voy. ‘Erebus’ & ‘Terror’, Birds 1(8): 12, pl. 11 – “Auckland Island”, error (fide C.A. Fleming 1982, George Edward Lodge. The unpublished N.Z. bird paintings: 245). Charadrius atricinctus Ellman, 1861: Zoologist 19: 7469 – New Zealand. Thinornis novae zelandiae (Gmelin); Buller 1865, Essay N.Z. Ornith.: 17. Unjustified emendation. Thinornis novae zealandiae (Gmelin); Sharpe 1896, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. 24: 304. Unjustified emendation. Thinornis novaeseelandiae (Gmelin); Mathews & Iredale 1913, Ibis 1 (10th ser.): 253. Thinornis novae-seelandiae (Gmelin); Peters 1934, Check-list Birds World 2: 257. Charadrius novaeseelandiae Gmelin; Holdaway et al. 2001, New Zealand Journ. Zool. 28(2): 133, 178. The holotype of Th. rossii, a putative endemic taxon from the Auckland Islands, is considered by most authorities to be an immature Th. novaeseelandiae, whose location was incorrectly recorded (Fleming 1982). Oliver (1955) regarded Thinornis G.R. Gray, 1845 as a distinct genus because of its long pointed bill that is longer than the tarsus, and the graduated tail. Holdaway et al. (2001) suggested that in all other respects the shore plover is a typical Charadrius, and placed it in that genus. However, Phillips (1980) considered, although noting his data were too inadequate to be certain, that the shore plover does not seem to belong to the same group as the banded dotterel, wrybill and New Zealand dotterel from which it differs in several respects that he enumerated. Detailed studies are necessary to determine the true generic status of the shore plover. Meanwhile, it is preferable to retain the shore plover in Thinornis. Endemic to New Zealand. Little reliable information about previous distribution, but in early–mid 19th Century was probably widely distributed around the South Island coast, with some reports from the North Island. Confined to Chatham Islands by late 1800s, where the only known natural wild population, estimated at 130 birds in 1993, was on South East Island (Dowding & Kennedy 1993, Davis 1994). Recent transfers from South East Island to Mangere Island have led to establishment of a small breeding population on Mangere Island (Aikman & Miskelly 2004). A second natural wild population of c. 21 birds was discovered on Western Reef off Chatham Island in 1999 (Bell & Bell 2000a), but it declined steadily after discovery to only one male which was taken into captivity in 2003 (Aikman & Miskelly 2004). Some captive-reared birds released on some northern New Zealand inshore islands have strayed to the North Island mainland (e.g. Medway 2004b). .
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