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Sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand Wildlife List (PDF)

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Sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand Wildlife List (PDF) Wildlife List of Sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand Compiled by Max Breckenridge KEY • H – Heard only • L – Leader only • I – Introduced species • E – Species is endemic to New Zealand • M – Species is endemic to Macquarie Island • e – Species is endemic to Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Oceania) • ssp – subspecies • NZ – New Zealand BIRDS Species total: 116 Heard only: 1 Leader only: 3 KIWIS E (Apterygidae) Southern Brown Kiwi E (Apteryx australis) – Single heard by some, and seen by others, on Ulva Island. Typically a nocturnal species. DUCKS, GEESE & WATERFOWL (Anatidae) Canada Goose I (Branta canadensis) – Tens in Dunedin, Te Anau, and Glentanner. Black Swan e (Cygnus atratus) – Hundreds in Dunedin Harbour and Lake Dunstan. Paradise Shelduck E (Tadorna variegata) – Tens/singles around Dunedin, Oban, and hundreds at Lake Dunstan. Blue Duck E (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) – Single seen briefly from the bus window between Milford Sound and Te Anau. Pacific Black Duck L (Anas superciliosa) – Three birds at Milford Sound. Some likely hybrids also observed near Twizel. Mallard I (Anas platyrhynchos) – Tens/singles on several occasions. Not pure Mallards. Most individuals in NZ are hybrids with domestic varieties or Pacific Black Duck. Auckland Islands Teal E (Anas aucklandica) – At least five individuals observed at Enderby Island along the shoreline and amongst ribbon kelp. A confiding pair of this flightless endemic greeted us at our beach landing. Campbell Islands Teal E (Anas nesiotis) – Great views of a confiding individual waiting for us at the dock on Campbell Island. New Zealand Scaup E (Aythya novaeseelandiae) – Singles at Lake Te Anau and tens around Queenstown and Twizel. NEW WORLD QUAIL (Odontophoridae) California Quail I (Callipepla californica) – Singles outside our hotel in Queenstown. GREBES (Podicipedidae) Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) [‘Australasian Crested Grebe’ (Podiceps c. australis)] – Singles at Lake Dunstan and near Twizel. The Australasian subspecies is a good candidate for a split due to its geographical isolation and permanent breeding plumage. PIGEONS & DOVES (Columbidae) Rock Pigeon I (Columba livia) – Tens in Dunedin and Queenstown. New Zealand Pigeon [Kereru] E (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) – Singles of this attractive dove at Orokonui, Stewart Island and Fiordland. CUCKOOS (Cuculidae) Long-tailed Koel [Cuckoo] H (Urodynamis taitensis) – One/two heard by some at Bradshaw Harbour in Doubtful Sound. A notoriously difficult species to see. RAILS, GALLINULES & COOTS (Rallidae) Weka E (Gallirallus australis) – Up to ten individuals, including youngsters, allowing for excellent views on Ulva Island. Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) – Tens near Twizel. South Island Takahe E (Porphyrio hochstetteri) – The now resident pair at Orokonui put on a great show soon after we arrived at the sanctuary. An endangered species that only survives in pest-free locations. STILTS & AVOCETS (Recurvirostridae) Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus) – Tens at Lake Dunstan and a single with Black Stilts at Glentanner. Black Stilt E (Himantopus novaezelandiae) – Eight individuals, including a striking adult, allowed for an unforgettable experience at Glentanner in the shadow of Mount Cook. We enjoyed an hour of watching this small party as they fed within touching distance at times. Likely the world’s rarest shorebird with barely 200 birds remaining. OYSTERCATCHERS (Haematopodidae) South Island Oystercatcher E (Haematopus finschi) – Tens in Dunedin Harbour and singles at Ulva Island and Glentanner. Variable Oystercatcher E (Haematopus unicolor) – Tens in Dunedin Harbour and singles at Ulva Island and Fiordland. PLOVERS & LAPWINGS (Charadriidae) Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) – Tens in Dunedin Harbour and in fields north of Queenstown. Double-banded Plover e (Charadrius b. bicinctus) – Singles at Glentanner and Lake Dunstan. [‘Auckland Double-banded Plover’ (Charadrius b. exilis)] – Singles seen distantly on the boardwalk. Better views for those who did the long hike. Endemic subspecies to the Auckland Islands. SANDPIPERS & ALLIES (Scolopacidae) Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) – Up to 50 birds in Dunedin Harbour. Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) – Up to ten birds seen by those who did the long hike on Enderby Island. Subantarctic Snipe E (Coenocorypha aucklandica) – Singles seen by some on Campbell Island and during the long hike on Enderby Island. Up to ten birds heard on our day at Campbell. Common Greenshank L (Tringa nebularia) – A vagrant to New Zealand. A single bird was seen well, calling in flight, while anchored offshore from Enderby Island. Perhaps the most southerly record ever of this species! SKUAS & JAEGERS (Stercorariidae) Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus) – Tens/singles seen each day in the Southern Ocean. Good numbers encountered onshore at Campbell, Macquarie, and Enderby Islands where they make a living scavenging around penguin and seal colonies. Cute and confiding one minute, crafty and vicious the next! [‘Subantarctic Skua’ (Stercorarius a. lonnbergi)] – Plumage differences are difficult to discern between subspecies, but lonnbergi is the expected subspecies in the region. Parasitic Jaeger [Arctic Skua] L (Stercorarius parasiticus) – A pair seen flying south between Doubtful and Milford Sounds. GULLS, TERNS & SKIMMERS (Laridae) Black-billed Gull E (Chroicocephalus bulleri) – Tens at Te Anau and around Queenstown, north to Twizel. One of the world’s most endangered gulls as a result of its limited range and recent declines. Silver [Red-billed] Gull e (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae scopulinus) – Tens/hundreds on several occasions across the South and Sub-Antarctic Islands. Often referred to as ‘Red-billed’ Gull in New Zealand, now considered a single species. Kelp [Southern Black-backed] Gull (Larus d. dominicanus) – Tens/hundreds observed on all but two days. Black-fronted Tern E (Chlidonias albostriatus) – Singles seen in flight over fields near Te Anau and Queenstown. Good views at Lake Dunstan and Glentanner. White-fronted Tern e (Sterna striata) – Tens/singles on several occasions. The common breeding tern in New Zealand. Antarctic Tern (Sterna v. [vittata group]) – Tens around Campbell and Auckland Islands (ssp. bethunei), and singles at Sandy Bay on Macquarie Island (ssp. macquariensis). A beautiful tern that breeds in the Sub-Antarctic. PENGUINS (Spheniscidae) King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) – Beautiful and boisterous. We had all the views one could desire of this remarkable bird during our time on Macquarie Island. We especially enjoyed our spell at a small colony at Sandy Bay, numbering around 6000 birds. Despite challenging conditions the following day, we were able to marvel at the spectacle of the Lusitania Bay colony from zodiacs where up to 100,000 birds breed. Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis p. papua) – A small colony of up to 100 birds breed around the Base at the northern end of Macquarie Island. We had lovely views of up to 20 birds amongst the Elephant Seals on our day ashore. Yellow-eyed Penguin E (Megadyptes antipodes) – Up to 40 of this unique and endangered penguin observed resting and waddling down the beach at Enderby Island. A single was observed at sea near Stewart Island and some were heard at Campbell Island. Little Penguin e (Eudyptula m. minor) – A single in Dunedin Harbour, and good looks at up to ten individuals in the water while anchored in Halfmoon Bay at Stewart Island. Fiordland Penguin E (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus) – Our final penguin for the trip, and one of the most vulnerable and difficult members of the family to find. We had fantastic looks at several sheltering in a rocky cove of Halfmoon Bay at Stewart Island. Single birds were seen briefly by some in the water at Dusky and Milford Sounds. Erect-crested Penguin E (Eudyptes sclateri) – The star of Campbell Island! An endangered species that only breeds on the all but inaccessible Antipodes, we were incredibly fortunate to find a single adult amongst a colony of rockhoppers during our zodiac cruise at Penguin Bay. This was a major bonus for the penguin listers among us, as Mike said at recap that evening, “seeing this penguin saved all of you a twenty-thousand dollar trip”. Royal Penguin M (Eudyptes schlegeli) – A near-threatened species that only breeds on Macquarie Island. We had a great time observing their antics at Sandy Bay where a colony of over 20,000 birds spend the summer. Southern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) [‘Eastern Rockhopper Penguin’ (Eudyptes c. filholi)] – We were fortunate to visit a large colony of these vulnerable penguins at Penguin Bay on Campbell Island. Many were also seen in the water from the ship as we cruised around Campbell Island. A small colony was seen distantly at the northern end of Macquarie Island. Snares Penguin E (Eudyptes robustus) – Unfortunately due to rough weather, we could not zodiac cruise at The Snares. However, we had as good views as you could hope for of hundreds of individuals of this vulnerable species from the ship as we cruised close to the island. Some of the best views were of birds in the water close to the ship. ALBATROSSES (Diomedeidae) Gray-headed Albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) – A subtly stunning albatross. We had great looks at up to 25 individuals of this endangered species as we cruised around Campbell Island where up to 8,000 pairs breed. Buller’s Albatross (Thalassarche bulleri) – Distant views of a couple near Carnley Harbour, were followed up by good looks at hundreds of birds at The
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