DOCSLIB.ORG

Rare Bits 38, September 2000

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Rare Bits 38, September 2000 Number 38 September 2000 RARE BITS THE NEWSLETTER ABOUT THREATENED SPECIES WORK This newsletter is produced FEATURE ARTICLE primarily as a vehicle for information exchange between departmental staff Stoat control in the Eglinton Valley involved in threatened species recovery and from Peter Dilks ecological restoration Various stoat control research projects have 1999 was a beech mast year, and a stoat programmes. In recognition been carried out in the Eglinton Valley since population irruption occurred during the of wider interest, however, “Rare Bits” is also provided 1990. Over the past 2 years continuous, following summer in response to the to non-departmental groups low intensity stoat control has been huge increase in rodent numbers. on request. The newsletter’s undertaken using Mk VI Fenn traps. Trap Bird monitoring informal style may sites are spaced at 200 m intervals along a Kaka occasionally lead to 45 km line that runs the length of the valley, misunderstandings for some The beech forest seeded heavily in 1999 with a short line across the valley at the of those readers. Views and in 2000, and kaka breeding was expressed by the authors are top and bottom. Each of the 198 sites widespread. Kaka in the Eglinton Valley not necessarily those of the consists of a wooden tunnel with two Fenn generally start nesting in January when Department of traps. Traps are baited with a hen’s egg or/ stoats are most abundant. Overall we Conservation. and a piece of meat. The trapline takes 1+ monitored 25 kaka nests by 13 different days to service and is usually checked females. Twenty nests successfully monthly. This stoat control research is a fledged 55 young. One female double joint project between Science & Research brooded in 1999 rearing 5 then 2 chicks. and Te Anau Area Office staff. In 1999 two nests failed at the chick stage FEATURE ARTICLE The effectiveness of this stoat control is Stoat control in the owing to predation by either a stoat or Eglinton Valley 1 evaluated by monitoring breeding and possum but both females survived. This CONSERVANCY NEWS survival of colour-banded mohua and season we lost three nests, one with eggs Northland 3 radio-tagged female kaka. and two with chicks, and 2 females were Auckland 4 Stoat trapping killed probably by a stoat. All five nests Bay of Plenty 4 Stoats caught in the valley since August that have been lost were the most distant East Coast/Hawke’s Bay 5 Tongariro/Taupo 6 1998 are shown below. from the trapline. Wanganui 7 160 Mohua Wellington 8 140 Intensive monitoring of 27 breeding pairs Nelson/Marlborough 10 (38 nests) was carried out this past West Coast 11 120 summer. No mohua fledged before Otago 11 100 Southland 12 juvenile stoats were being caught in the 80 OTHER BITS Fenn traps. Results: Aerial possum control at 60 • 25 nests fledged chicks successfully Whirinaki and impacts on 40 • 3 failed (female OK) kereru and kaka 14 20 • 10 failed (female killed) Shore plover reintroduction 15 New Sebaea ovata population 15 0 - 6 rat predation Takahe programme Aug Oct Dec Feb May Aug Oct Dec Feb Apr - 1 probably falcon 1999/2000 update 16 - 3 unknown (2 tree unclimable, 1 females and nests in an untrapped area. possible stoat/rat?) This summer we may not have lost any So 66% of nests fledged, 37% of females nests to stoats, but the huge increase in were lost but a stoat may have killed rat numbers and the associated rat only one of these. predation is a major concern. An unusual feature of this breeding The Te Anau area has had two mild season was the high level of predation winters and there is some suggestion that by ship rats - unrecorded in the Eglinton this results in high rat populations in in previous 6 years of intensive nest beech forest. High rat numbers have monitoring. been recorded elsewhere in South Island Effectiveness of stoat control beech forests this past summer – in areas It appears that stoat control carried out where no stoat control has been at this low intensity provides sufficient undertaken. protection to markedly reduce stoat If a permanently higher rat population predation on breeding mohua and kaka. were a result of continual stoat trapping, Kaka breeding success is up with the there would be serious consequences for best recorded anywhere. In similar beech many bird species. It could be suggested forests Ron Moorhouse has recorded 9 that stoat trapping be initiated only of 10 kaka nests failed at Rotoroa with following beech mast years, but for kaka, no stoat control and 3 of 5 females were at least, stoat control would need to occur killed this season alone. Landcare during the previous summer when beech Research also recorded only 10% of nests flowering initiates widespread breeding. fledging young during their 9-year study. If some kaka breeding occurs in all years However, within the Mainland Island at then continual stoat control is preferable, Rotoiti 8 of 10 nests have been successful. because we knew of no successful kaka Over the past two seasons in the Eglinton nests in the Eglinton Valley before we we have recorded 80% of nests initiated stoat control. successfully fledging young. We have To keep the stoat population at a low recorded no mortality of 17 fledglings level with a low density of traps probably that have been radio tagged over the past requires continual trapping. Further work 2 years (35% mortality has been recorded is needed here on rat population for Rotoiti fledglings). dynamics in beech forests to determine Stoat control also appears to be effective whether lack of predators means a larger for mohua breeding because during the irruption in mast years or if climate is 1990 stoat irruption we lost 60% of the major influence. RARE BITS No. 38. September 2000 2 CONSERVANCY NEWS NORTHLAND records; 25 records had to be missed out. from Nicky Syddall, Lisa Forester, A positive spin-off, however, has been and Andrea Booth the addition of a further 55 new Christella dentata planting at threatened plant sites to the database, Lake Ngatu including range extensions for a few Just over 12 months ago, the Kaitaia Area species. Some of these records are purely took over ‘guardianship’ of the very rare serendipitous as result of surveyors fern Christella dentata. Approximately finding themselves at the wrong site, e.g. 160 plants had been cultivated from the a new major site for Mazus novaezelandiae last remaining few found on private in Warawara Forest in the next catchment property in Awanui. A keen local botanist over from the original record! Being able had taken the initiative for this action, to get more accurate population and he then handed the plants to DoC information for many of these older to manage. records is another good outcome of the Approximately 120 of these plants went survey. back into the property from which they Work continues on finding the identity came, and then finally on 5 July most of of the odd cunonia-like tree discovered the remaining plants were planted near the Hokianga, using genetic and around Lake Ngatu. Permission was morphological techniques. Eleven plants needed from Te Rarawa and Ngai Takoto have been found so far, and one old to move the ferns from one rohe to fallen inflorescence. Another visit will be another. Permissions were granted, the made soon to look for flowers. programme manager was invited to Northland mudfish survey speak to a group of people from Ngai Survey work continues for this Takoto who are the kaitiaki of Lake Northland-endemic mudfish species, Ngatu, and then in the afternoon the which was discovered in 1998. Mike planting went ahead with great success. McGlynn has been trapping for mudfish The planting was a community effort at all likely-looking sites in the Kerikeri including many of the people and area and has so far come up with some children from the marae, Conservation very exciting results. This species was Corps students, DoC staff and volunteers previously known from only two sites, from Bushlands Trust. which makes it one of the most Threatened plant surveys threatened fish species in the country. The Northland threatened plant re-survey In the past few weeks, Mike has of older (pre-1980) records is almost discovered Northern mudfish at four new finished. The data is now being loaded sites, which has significantly extended onto the database and mapped. Around its range. The new sites range from 10- 200 sites were field surveyed, with only 240 m a.s.l. and are a combination of 47% of the plants being successfully conservation and private land. None of relocated. These poor returns could be the new sites have had mudfish present attributed to several causes, with the in high numbers, and some sites are main one being land clearing, especially threatened by development, farming around the Kaitaia area where positive practices, and mosquito fish. Mike still ...Some records are purely returns were low. Not all sites could be has several sites to survey, so we may serendipitous as a result of end up with even more sites for Northern surveyors finding themselves surveyed owing to lack of site mudfish. at the wrong site... information especially for the earlier RARE BITS No. 38. September 2000 3 CONSERVANCY NEWS AUCKLAND of the new arrivals will start in spring from Bec Stanley and continue through summer. Rare plant bits Our mawhai Sicyos australis at Otuataua It may be the most common leafy Stonefields is proving to be a little tricky mistletoe in the country, but in Auckland to manage.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Keystone Species: the Concept and Its Relevance for Conservation Management in New Zealand
    Keystone species: the concept and its relevance for conservation management in New Zealand SCIENCE FOR CONSERVATION 203 Ian J. Payton, Michael Fenner, William G. Lee Published by Department of Conservation P.O. Box 10-420 Wellington, New Zealand Science for Conservation is a scientific monograph series presenting research funded by New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC). Manuscripts are internally and externally peer-reviewed; resulting publications are considered part of the formal international scientific literature. Titles are listed in the DOC Science Publishing catalogue on the departmental website http:// www.doc.govt.nz and printed copies can be purchased from [email protected] © Copyright July 2002, New Zealand Department of Conservation ISSN 11732946 ISBN 047822284X This report was prepared for publication by DOC Science Publishing, Science & Research Unit; editing by Lynette Clelland and layout by Ruth Munro. Publication was approved by the Manager, Science & Research Unit, Science Technology and Information Services, Department of Conservation, Wellington. CONTENTS Abstract 5 1. Introduction 6 2. Keystone concepts 6 3. Types of keystone species 8 3.1 Organisms controlling potential dominants 8 3.2 Resource providers 10 3.3 Mutualists 11 3.4 Ecosystem engineers 12 4. The New Zealand context 14 4.1 Organisms controlling potential dominants 14 4.2 Resource providers 16 4.3 Mutualists 18 4.4 Ecosystem engineers 19 5. Identifying keystone species 20 6. Implications for conservation management 21 7. Acknowledgements 22 8. References 23 4 Payton et al.Keystone species: the concept and its relevance in New Zealand Keystone species: the concept and its relevance for conservation management in New Zealand Ian J.
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • Whio/Blue Duck Recovery Plan 2009-2019
    Whio/blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) recovery plan 2009–2019 THREATENED SPECIES RECOVERY PLAN 62 Whio/blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) recovery plan 2009–2019 Andrew Glaser, Paul van Klink, Graeme Elliott and Kerri-Anne Edge THREATENED SPECIES RECOVERY PLAN 62 Published by Publishing Team Department of Conservation PO Box 10420, The Terrace Wellington 6143, New Zealand Cover: A brood of just-hatched ducklings on the Te Waiiti Stream, Te Urewera National Park. Photo: Brenda R. Baillie. Limited copies of Threatened Species Recovery Plans are printed. Electronic copies are available from the departmental website in pdf form. Titles are listed in our catalogue on the website, refer www.doc.govt.nz under Publications, then Science & technical. © Copyright December 2010, New Zealand Department of Conservation ISSN 1170–3806 (hardcopy) ISSN 1170–3806 (web) ISBN 978–0–478–14840–4 (hardcopy) ISBN 978– 0–478–14841–1 (web PDF) This report was prepared for publication by the Publishing Team; editing and layout by Amanda Todd. Publication was approved by the General Manager, Research and Development Group, Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand. In the interest of forest conservation, we support paperless electronic publishing. When printing, recycled paper is used wherever possible. Foreword The General Manager Operations (Northern) of the Department of Conservation (DOC) formally approved this threatened species recovery plan in June 2010. A review of the plan is due in 2017, or sooner if new information or technology leads to a significant change in management direction. This plan will remain operative until a new plan has been prepared and approved, or will become redundant if recovery is achieved and management effort enters a ‘maintenance phase’.
    [Show full text]
  • Tipping Points for New Zealand's Native Land Birds
    Tipping points for New Zealand’s native land birds Susan Walker Landcare Research, Dunedin Tipping Points (EDS Conference) Auckland, 10-11 August 2017 Thanks Adrian Monks John Innes Graeme Elliott Josh Kemp Data Ornithological Society of New Zealand (bird atlases) Department of Conservation (rodents) Thanks Images Neil Fitzgerald John Hunt John Innes Craig Mackenzie Rachel McLennan James Mortimer James Reardon Glenda Rees Peter Scott ROB SUISTED Forest & alpine birds Forest & alpine birds RIFLEMAN, NEIL FITZGERALD Forest & alpine birds KAKA, JAMES REARDON Forest & alpine birds NORTH ISLAND KOKAKO, JOHN INNES Forest & alpine birds MOHUA IN RED BEECH FOREST , GLENDA REES Birds in most trouble Inland-breeding wading birds, terns and gulls Wrybill BANDED DOTTEREL, TASMAN VALLEY, © CRAIG MACKENZIE Tipping point Humans arrive - regime change - whole avifauna Endemic bird diversity Endemic bird 10,000 years Time Tipping point Māori arrive - regime change - whole avifauna Pakeha arrive Endemic bird diversity Endemic bird 1,000 years Time Population HIGH tipping points Species’ security Security LOW GONE Population size DOING OK IN SOME TROUBLE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION © GONE Population size North Island DOING OK forest birds IN SOME Kereru TROUBLE Tomtit Morepork L-tailed cuckoo 1970s IN SERIOUS Robin TROUBLE Rifleman Kiwi Blue duck Kaka Parakeet ON THE BRINK OF Kokako EXTINCTION Weka GONE Percent of forest range occupied North Island DOING OK forest birds IN SOME Kereru TROUBLE Tomtit 25 years later IN SERIOUS Morepork TROUBLE
    [Show full text]
  • New Zealand Comprehensive II 23Rd October – 8Th November 2017 Trip Report
    New Zealand Comprehensive II 23rd October – 8th November 2017 Trip Report Gibson’s Wandering Albatross off Kaikoura by Erik Forsyth Trip Report compiled by Tour Leader Erik Forsyth Rockjumper Birding Tours View more tours to New Zealand Trip Report – RBL New Zealand - Comprehensive II 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 multiple 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. On this tour we had so many highlights, including close encounters with North Island, Southern Brown and Little Spotted Kiwis, 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, White- capped and the scarce Grey-headed Albatrosses, Westland, Cook’s and White- chinned Petrels, Buller’s, Flesh-footed and Hutton’s Shearwaters, Common Diving New Zealand (Red-breasted) Plover by Erik Forsyth Petrel, and White-faced and the highly sought-after New Zealand Storm Petrels.
    [Show full text]
  • Fiordland Day Walks Te Wāhipounamu – South West New Zealand World Heritage Area
    FIORDLAND SOUTHLAND Fiordland Day Walks Te Wāhipounamu – South West New Zealand World Heritage Area South West New Zealand is one of the great wilderness areas of the Southern Hemisphere. Known to Māori as Te Wāhipounamu (the place of greenstone), the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area incorporates Aoraki/Mount Cook, Westland Tai Poutini, Fiordland and Mount Aspiring national parks, covering 2.6 million hectares. World Heritage is a global concept that identifies natural and cultural sites of world significance, places so special that protecting them is of concern for all people. Some of the best examples of animals and plants once found on the ancient supercontinent Gondwana live in the World Heritage Area. Left: Lake Marian in Fiordland National Park. Photo: Henryk Welle Contents Fiordland National Park 3 Be prepared 4 History 5 Weather 6 Natural history 6 Formation ������������������������������������������������������� 7 Fiordland’s special birds 8 Marine life 10 Dogs and other pets 10 Te Rua-o-te-moko/Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre 11 Avalanches 11 Walks from the Milford Road Highway ����������������������������� 13 Walking tracks around Te Anau ����������� 21 Punanga Manu o Te Anau/ Te Anau Bird Sanctuary 28 Walks around Manapouri 31 Walking tracks around Monowai Lake, Borland and the Grebe valley ��������������� 37 Walking tracks around Lake Hauroko and the south coast 41 What else can I do in Fiordland National Park? 44 Contact us 46 ¯ Mi lfor d P S iop ound iota hi / )" Milford k r a ¯ P Mi lfor
    [Show full text]
  • Habitual Tool Use Innovated by Free-Living New Zealand
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Habitual tool use innovated by free- living New Zealand kea Matthew Goodman1, Thomas Hayward2 & Gavin R. Hunt3 The emergence of fexible tool use is rare in the animal kingdom and thought to be largely constrained Received: 19 February 2018 by either cognitive ability or ecological factors. That mostly birds with a high level of intelligence Accepted: 3 September 2018 innovate tool use in captivity is consistent with the former hypothesis. We report here the frst Published: xx xx xxxx documented case of habitual tool use innovated in the wild by a bird species only known to have used tools in captivity. Trap-boxes containing food-bait and snap-trap(s) were installed in the remote Murchison Mountains, New Zealand, from 2002 to catch introduced stoats. Kea tampered with the trap-boxes in various ways. Over approximately 2.5 years, sticks were found inserted into at least 227 diferent trap-boxes that were up to 27 km apart. Video footage confrmed that the stick insertion was kea tool use. Trap-boxes are unlikely to have provided the only possibility for kea tool use in their habitat given their extractive foraging and skilled object manipulation. We argue that they instead greatly facilitated the opportunity for tool use, thus increasing the chance that kea would invent the behaviour. The innovation of tool use by kea in response to facilitation provides rare feld support for the cognitive constraints hypothesis. Te question of why fexible tool use is rare in the animal kingdom is important given the evolutionary signif- cance of the behaviour in human evolution.
    [Show full text]
  • Takahe Will Often Nest Under the Shelter of Snow Tussocks Where Each Nesting Pair Builds up a Raised Bowl of Grasses
    Takahë Native birds The flightless takahë is a colourful green and blue bird with an impressive red beak and short stout legs. This unique bird was thought to be extinct until 1948 when a medical doctor from Invercargill, Geoffrey Orbell, re- discovered the species in the alpine tussock grasslands of the remote Murchison Mountains, Fiordland. Today, takahë numbers are increasing in their natural habitat thanks to a Department of Conservation captive breeding programme and intensive predator control. The public can see this rare bird at the Department of Conservation Wildlife Centre (Te Anau) and at the National Wildlife Centre (Mount Bruce, near Masterton). 130 birds, although numbers have fluctuated between Where are they found? 110 and 171. Overall however, takahë numbers have Takahë once lived throughout the North and South climbed to more than 280 with a second population Islands but by the time of Mäori settlement, they being established on offshore islands. This population were already reduced in numbers and localised was established during the 1980s and 1990s on four in distribution. After their rediscovery in 1948, offshore islands: Maud Island (Marlborough Sounds), the Murchison Mountains were made a Specially Mana Island (off Wellington’s west coast), Kapiti Island Protected Area, with entry by permit only. Annual (north of Mana), and Tiritiri Matangi Island (Hauraki surveys by the Department of Conservation have Gulf). These sites also provide opportunities for the shown that for the past decade the wild population public to see takahë. in the protected area has managed to average about Takahë D. Crouchley Takahë facts • Takahë get their food and shelter from alpine grassland species such as broad-leaved snow tussock, mid-ribbed snow tussock and curled snow tussock.
    [Show full text]
  • Te Anau – Fiordland
    Community – Kea Project Plan Fiordland/Te Anau Funded by: Department of Conservation Community Fund (DOC CF) Period: 1 December 2015 – 31 October 2017. Key contact person: Kea Conservation Trust – Tamsin Orr-Walker – [email protected]; Ph 0274249594 Aim The aim of the Community – Kea Project Plan is to i) facilitate long-term community kea conservation initiatives and ii) to change the way we think, act and live with kea in our communities. This will be actioned through development of collaborative Project Plans across the South Island. Each community plan will address concerns specific to the local community and threats to the resident kea population. Project Background This initial project plan outline has been developed as a result of discussions with communities during the Kea Conservation Trust’s (KCT) Winter Advocacy Tour - 20 July – 3 August 2015. The tour was funded by Dulux and supported by Department of Conservation (DOC). The tour theme, “Building a future with kea”, aimed to promote a new MOU between communities and kea. This initiative is in line with the new Strategic Plan for Kea Conservation (refer attached draft document), objective 3: to i) increase positive perceptions of kea and reduce conflict and ii) facilitate formation of community led kea conservation initiatives. Local Community – Kea Project Plans will be activated by two Community Engagement Coordinator’s (CEC’s) based in the following areas: 1) Upper half of the South Island: Northern region (Nelson/ Motueka/ Kahurangi), Central North (Nelson Lakes/ Murchison/Arthur’s Pass/Christchurch/Mt Hutt) and upper West Coast (Greymouth and Hokitika). There is also the potential to include Kaikoura at a later date (the eastern most population of kea).
    [Show full text]
  • Stoats (Mustela Erminea) Are Primary Predators, Which Are Likely to Be Impacting Significantly on Population Viability
    DOI:O’Donnell 10.20417/nzjecol.41.18 et al.: Mammalian predators and alpine fauna 1 REVIEW Impacts of introduced mammalian predators on New Zealand’s alpine fauna Colin F. J. O’Donnell1, Kerry A. Weston1* and Joanne M. Monks2 1Science and Policy Group, Department of Conservation, Private Bag 4715, Christchurch Mail Centre, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand 2Science and Policy Group, Department of Conservation, PO Box 5244, Dunedin 9058, New Zealand *Author for correspondence (Email: [email protected]) Published online: 9 December 2016 Abstract: Alpine zones are threatened globally by invasive species, hunting, and habitat loss caused by fire, anthropogenic development and climate change. These global threats are pertinent in New Zealand, with the least understood pressure being the potential impacts of introduced mammalian predators, the focus of this review. In New Zealand, alpine zones include an extensive suite of cold climate ecosystems covering c. 11% of the land mass. They support rich communities of indigenous invertebrates, lizards, fish, and birds. Many taxa are obligate alpine dwellers, though there is uncertainty about the extent to which distributions of some species are relicts of wider historical ranges. The impacts of introduced mammalian predators are well described in many New Zealand ecosystems, though little is known about the impacts of these predators on alpine fauna. Here we review the importance of alpine habitats for indigenous fauna and the impacts of introduced mammalian predators; and develop a conceptual model explaining threat interactions. Most evidence for predation is anecdotal or comes from studies of species with wider ranges and at lower altitudes. Nevertheless, at least ten introduced predator species have been confirmed as frequent predators of native alpine species, particularly among birds and invertebrates.
    [Show full text]
  • Takahe (Porphyrio Hochstetteri) Recovery Plan
    Takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) recovery plan 2007–2012 THREATENED SPECIES RECOVERY PLAN 61 Takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) recovery plan 2007–2012 Chrissy Wickes, Dave Crouchley and Jane Maxwell THREATENED SPECIES RECOVERY PLAN 61 Published by Publishing Team Department of Conservation PO Box 10420, The Terrace Wellington 6143, New Zealand Cover: Takahe in Mystery Burn, Fiordland. Photo: Glen Greaves Limited copies of Threatened Species Recovery Plans are printed. Electronic copies are available from the departmental website in pdf form. Titles are listed in our catalogue on the website, refer www.doc.govt.nz under Publications, then Science & technical. © Copyright September 2009, New Zealand Department of Conservation ISSN 1170–3806 (hardcopy) ISSN 1170–3806 (web) ISBN 978–0–478–14670–7 (hardcopy) ISBN 978– 0–478–14671–4 (web PDF) This report was prepared for publication by the Publishing Team; editing and layout by Lynette Clelland. Publication was approved by the General Manager, Research and Development Group, Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand. In the interest of forest conservation, we support paperless electronic publishing. When printing, recycled paper is used wherever possible. Foreword The General Manager—Operations Southern of the Department of Conservation (DOC) formally approved this threatened species recovery plan in June 2008. A review of the plan is due in 2012, or sooner if new information or technology leads to a significant change in management direction. This plan will remain operative until a new plan has been prepared and approved, or will become redundant if recovery is achieved and management effort enters a ‘maintenance phase’. The Takahe Recovery Group prepared this plan in conjunction with people interested in or affected by the plan, or with an expert knowledge of the species.
    [Show full text]
  • New Zealand Dates
    TRIP REPORT: NEW ZEALAND CUSTOM TOUR DATES: 31 DECEMBER 2010 – 13 JANUARY 2011 GUIDE AND PHOTOGRAPHS: NICK LESEBERG My first trip for the year was to New Zealand, land of the hobbits, and it is one I can’t wait to repeat; for a combination of great birding and incredible scenery, New Zealand is one of the ultimate destinations. This particular trip was designed to be easy going, and focussed particularly on the endemic birds of this island nation. With only two weeks it was difficult to fit everything in around these requirements, but we still managed a fine effort, cleaning up on the endemics that we targeted, and enjoying a relaxed pace for the whole two weeks. We explored both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, also spending a couple of days on Stewart Island off the far southern tip. The trip highlights were many and varied, and didn’t just include birds. We enjoyed Fox Glacier, the impressive drives up to Arthur’s Pass and through the Eglinton Valley, and an amazing cruise around Milford Sound, where hundreds of waterfalls poured off the cliffs steepling above us. But, the birds still stole the show. A friendly Southern Brown Kiwi foraging on the beach was classic New Zealand, while other highlights included Yellow-eyed Penguins waddling down the beach for their day at sea, and the boisterous antics of the endemic New Zealand Kaka. One of the undoubted highlights of any trip to New Zealand is the seabirds, and nowhere else are pelagic seabirds as accessible as they are here.
    [Show full text]