BIRDS NEW ZEALAND Te Kahui Matai Manu o Aotearoa No.29 March 2021 The Magazine of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand NO.29 MARCH 2021 Proud sponsors of Birds New Zealand Find us in your local 3 From the President's Desk New World or PAKn’ Save 4 NZ Bird Annual Conference & AGM 2021 5 Notices of Motion 6 Call for Applications to BNZRF 2021 7 Satellite tagging of Bar-tailed Godwits 8 Tracking Tawaki in fjord ecosystems 9 New Zealand Bird Atlas summer update 10 Fiordland Storm Petrels in the Spotlight PUBLISHERS 14 Oscar Thomas - True Young Explorer Published on behalf of the members of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand (Inc), P.O. Box 834, Nelson 7040, New Zealand. 15 Movements of Black-fronted Terns Email: [email protected] Website: www.birdsnz.org.nz Editor: Michael Szabo, 6/238 The Esplanade, Island Bay, Wellington 6023. 16 Regional Roundup Email: [email protected] Tel: (04) 383 5784 R.H.D. Stidolph's 100-year legacy ISSN 2357-1586 (Print) ISSN 2357-1594 (Online) 19 We welcome advertising enquiries. Free classified ads for members are at the editor’s discretion. Articles or illustrations related to birds in New Zealand and the South Pacific region are welcome in electronic form, such as news about birds, COVER IMAGE members’ activities, birding sites, identification, letters, reviews, or photographs. Black Stilt or Kakī. Photo by Mike Ashbee. Copy deadlines are 10th Feb, May, Aug and 1st Nov. https://www.mikeashbeephotography.com/ Weka, Opportunist and Battler Pete’s Nest This recently published book about Weka by Ralph Powlesland Situated in the ancient treetops, overlooking the ocean, and and Agnes Takacs draws from a variety of sources, but mainly just 30 minutes north of Coromandel town, the property is an ongoing study of Weka at Manaroa by Mary and Ralph encapsulated by giant native trees and a plethora of resident Powlesland. There is also information from published sources native bird life. Relax among an amazing array of Kaka, Kereru, such as books, websites, and scientific papers. We’ve tried to Riroriro, Tauhau, Korimako, Tui and more. Also within close include as much information about Weka as possible. proximity of the Waikawau Bay Wetland Sanctuary and The soft-cover book (15cm x 23cm) is 96 pages with 82 images. Colville Harbour, which hold many and varied shorebirds. Chapter titles include Different kinds of Weka, Territory and Email: [email protected] fighting, Calls, Foraging techniques, Foods, Roosting, Breeding, Phone. 027 3593 619 Juvenile dispersal, Lifespan, Weka and introduced mammalian More info: https://t.hmwy.io/82xeQtexkdb predators, Roles in the environment, and Translocations of Weka. The book has many wonderful images of Weka, some of them action shots showing Weka involved in a variety of activities, including sleeping, bathing, fighting, incubating and rearing chicks. The recommended retail price is $25. Copies are available from The CopyPress: www. copypress.co.nz/shop/ weka-opportunist-and- battler Bookshops and libraries may have copies (ISBN: 978-0-473-53864-4) 2 BIRDS NEW ZEALAND I Number 29 March 2021 From the President’s Desk I’ve had a wonderful summer so far, birding here in Otago/ before Christmas - at a time when there was already a lot of post Southland and also in the Tasman and Marlborough Districts. backed-up in the system awaiting delivery. The eBird Alerts that I get on my phone have encouraged me to go to new and different places to watch birds. It’s been a bit of a Applications for research funds struggle to get back to the daily work cycle. Applications for the David Medway Scholarship, and the Marj Davis Scholarship are open now with details posted on Council Meeting the Society’s website. Applications to the Birds New Zealand Council met by video call in November and you can see the Research Fund start on 1 April (see page 6). If you think that any results of some our work elsewhere in this edition of Birds of these could support the logistics and purchase of equipment New Zealand. and consumables for your project then please consider applying. Society Strategy New Zealand Bird Atlas Ian Armitage has continued to lead the review of the Society As of December Biz Bell reports that there are more than 97,000 Strategy. It has now been posted on the Society’s website and checklists contributed by 834 people and that 82% of all squares your comments on this are invited. For the strategy to be of are covered once or more. Observers have seen 255 species. The use to Council and you as members of the Society it needs to Atlas Team at Wildlife Management International continues be relevant, and to ensure relevancy membership engagement to respond to emails and phone calls regarding the Atlas. The is essential. Comments on the draft strategy are invited here: Atlas Team has also been engaging with more community https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/news/revised-draft-strategy/ groups, universities and other consultancies to advocate for the Atlas and their participation. One tool that the team has created Notices of Motion is a quick 3-minute promotional video that helps answer the This time a year ago as part of the lead-up to the 2020 three key questions, ‘what is the Atlas?’, ‘why is it important?’ Conference, Council had developed a number of Notices and ‘how can I get involved?’. This video can be viewed here: of Motion to amend the Constitution and review Society https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVCcjKaTEnc&ab_ subscriptions. These matters need to be debated at an AGM channel=NewZealandBirdAtlas and so they have been re-endorsed by Council and have been included in this edition of Birds New Zealand for consideration A regional NZ eBird reviewer workshop was held via Zoom at the AGM in Thames. in November. This was to help all NZ eBird reviewers to chat with each other for the first time and to try formalise roles and The formal notices are published elsewhere in this edition promote better communication between reviewers. of Birds New Zealand but they cover changes relating to the The Atlas team are continuing to work on a data sharing Society’s name: how to get the most out of the newly updated agreement with the Department of Conservation. This will subscription database; and the need to review the Society’s enable the Department’s Tier One monitoring data to be added subscription rates. to the Atlas dataset. This will be a significant boost to coverage to remote and mountainous sites, but it will add to, and not replace Membership of the Royal Society of New Zealand Society efforts to attempt to ensure national coverage. Ian is also leading a discussion with the Royal Society of New Zealand about the merits and obligations of Birds New Zealand This project has been supported by the Society’s long-term becoming a constituent member of the Royal Society. partner Goodness Kitchen and I am grateful for their ongoing support. Health and Safety As part of the ongoing implementation of the Society’s Health Birds New Zealand Fledging Fund and Safety Policy Council has purchased a set of High Visibility I wish to remind you all that the Society’s Fledgling Fund vests for use on Society projects. The Executive Officer has is open to donations. The fund is dedicated to supporting distributed two to each region for their use. If more are required Student Members of the Society to attend a New Zealand Bird these can be purchased through the EO. Conference and to present at the conference. The fund will be an endowment fund and will disburse funds for student members Engagement with incoming ministers from donations received. If members wish to make a contribution Letters of introduction about the purpose and scope of Birds New to the fund so we can disburse grants for the 2021 Conference Zealand have been sent to new ministers in the Government. We then please do so by making a donation when registering for the have written to Hon. Kiritapu Allen, Minister of Conservation, conference, or by contacting the Membership Secretary. to Hon Dr. Megan Woods, Minister of Research, Science and New Zealand Bird Conference Innovation, and to Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall, Associate Minister of Research, Science and Innovation. We will continue to engage Registrations for the 2021 New Zealand Birds Conference to with leading ministers in the Government to ensure that they are be held in Thames on 5th-7th June are open. I’m really looking aware of the Society and its work. forward to catching up with you, the Society, on this weekend. David Lawrie and his team have put together a weekend filled Notornis with science opportunities to mingle and a good selection of field The last part, Volume 67, of Notornis was the significant edition trips. I strongly recommend that you register as early as you can on Wader Studies in New Zealand. This is a very elegant part of to ensure you can participate in one of the field trips and the the Society’s Journal. I'm aware that some members probably other activities. did not receive their December mailing of Birds New Zealand magazine and Notornis until after Christmas - in my case, the BRUCE McKINLAY second week of January. This was unfortunate and related to PRESIDENT the fact that the Wader Studies issue of Notornis was about three times bigger than a 'normal' issue and so took longer to produce, resulting in the mailing not going to NZ Post until about a week Number 29 March 2021 I BIRDS NEW ZEALAND 3 2021 NZ Bird Conference & AGM Benefits of membership The 2021 NZ Bird Conference and 82nd Annual General Meeting You can join Birds New Zealand today for just over a dollar a of Birds New Zealand will be held on Queen’s Birthday weekend week.