NOTORNIS Journal of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand Volume '23 Part 2 June 1976 OFFICERS~'~~j 76 - -*--,- Preldent - Mr. B. D. BELL, wild~&service, .Depi. of Internal @qirs, Private B$g,z+$e%~~t~fi4 ' ' Acting Vice-president - Mrs J. &%l~&l&+'42 <knn;Stre&; Poslyn; _- *- Danedh* -, . , Editor - Mr. E. W. DAWSON, P.O. Box 41-002, Eastbourne . - Treasurer - Mr. H. W. M. HOGG, P.O. Box 3011, Dunedin ; Secretary - Mr. P. D. GAZE, P.O. BOX 30466, Lower Hutt Council- Members: Dr. BEN D. BELL, 45 Gurney Road, Belmont, Lower Hutt Dr. P. C. BULL, 131 Waterloo Road,'Lower Hutt Mr. M. L. FALCONER, 188 Miromiro Road; Normandale, Lower Hutt Mr. F. C. KINSKY, C/- National Museum, Private Bag, Wellington Mr. D. V. MERTON, Wildlife-Service, Degt. of Internal Affairs; Private Bag, Wellington- Mrs. S. M. REED, 4 Mamaku Street, Auckland 5 Mr. R. R. SUTTON, Lorneville Post Office, Invercargill Conveners and ' Organisers: Rare Birds Committee: Mr. F. C. KINSKY; C/- National Musepm, Private Bag, Welliogfan Beach Patrol: Mr. C. R. VEITCH, Wildlife Sqrvice, Dept. of Internal Affairs, P.O. Box 2220,) Auokland - Card Committee: Mr. B. D. BELL, Wildlife Service, Dept. bf Internal Affairs, Wellirigt@@ Field Investigation Cofnmitlee: fLir;~B. D. BELL Librarian: Miss A. J. GOODWIN, R.Da 1, C_levedon, Nest Records: Mr. D. E. CROCKETT, 21 M~MillanAk., Kamo, Whangarei I Recording (including material for classified s&nmarised notes) : Mr. A. T. EDGAR, Inlet goad, I$erik$ri , Representative on Member Bodies' dompittee of R~ydSociet$"of N.Z.: Mr. B. D, BEL,L - - SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP Annual Subscription: Ordinary membership $6; Husbaind/~ife'membe~ ship $9; Life membership $4:20 (ag> over 30); Junior meinber- ship (age under 20) $4.50; Family membership (one Notornis* per household) other members of a family living in one house- hold where one is already a member $3; Instittztional subscrip tions $10; overseas subscriptions $1.50 extra. Subscriptions are payable on a calendar year basis at the 'time of application for membership and on receipt of invoice each January. Prompt payment of subscription will ensure continued receipt of Notornis. *. Applications for membership, changes of address and letters of resig-, nation should be sent to the Treasurer. Editorial matters only should be addressed to the Editor. Exchanges and library subscriptions should be referred to the Treasurer. [Registered with POHQ, Wellington, as a magazine] CONTENTS HEDLEY. L . A . Some observations of a communal roost of the Australian Harrier ............ ...... ...... ............ 85 FLACK. J . A . Douglas . The use of frontal spot and crown feathers in the South Island Robin ...... ............ ............ 90 BISSET. Stewart A . Foods of the Paradise Shelduck in North Canterbu-y ...... .................. ...... ...... ...... 106 MEDWAY. D . G . Extant types of New Zealand birds from Cook's Voyages - Part 11: The type specimens ...... ...... ...... 120 WESTERSKOV. K . E . Professor Erwin Stresemann and his contribution to Australasian ornithology ............ ...... 138 About our authors ...... ............ ........................ 167 VEITCH. C . R . Seabirds found dead in N.Z. in 1974 ...... ...... 168 JACKSON. R . Labour Weekend school: October 1975 ...... 179 Short Notes HORNING. D . S. Jr . Wilson's Storm Petrel at Kaikoura ...... 119 SCARLETT. R . J . Further records of the Grey Petrel on Chatham Island ............ .................. ...... 178 FOX. N . C . Inexperienced hunting behaviour by an Australasian Harrier .......................................... 180 JACKSON. R . Behaviour of birds when attacked by Falcon ...... 181 BEST. H . A . First sightings of Hoary-headed Grebe in N.Z. ...... 182 BARLOW. M . L . Breeding of Hoary-headed Grebe in Southland 183 Annual General Meeting 1976. Report and Accounts ...... ...... 188 Letters TAYLOR. K . H . Chatham Island Parakeets ...... ...... ...... 198 STANTON. B. R . Ducks' take-off ...... ...... ............ ...... 201 BOURNE. W . R . P . Petrels and light at night ...... ...... ...... 201 Instructions for Authors ........................ ...... ...... 203 The Society and its officers ............ ...... ...... inside front cover Regional Representatives ........................inside back cover Printed by TE RAU PRESS LTD., Peel Street. Gisborne FAR NORTH: NORTHLAND: ) D. E. Crockett. 21 Mchlillan Avq., Kamo, V$hGgprei .. -- AUCKLAND: Mrs. S. Reed, 4 ~arnaku&;~t;,~~~~~ind5 - - . A-' SOUTH AUCKLAND: Mrs. Beth Brae 39 ~ed'Hill Rd., ~t&,akub; - WAIKATO: Vacant . k BAY (SF PLENTY: R. M. Weston. 250 R;iver Road, Kqwerau VOLCANIC PLATEAU: R. W. Jackson, 9 Kethick Road, Raorua, - GISBORNE/WAIROA: J. C. Henley, 9 Mason&reet, Gisbome TARANAKI: R. W. Wheeler, 307a Carrigtqn Str&t, New 9Plymo,uth MANAWATU: Dr L. J. Davies, DSIR, Private. Bag, ~almer&q Nortli HAWKES BAY: N. B. Mackenzie, Wildlife Trbst, M.dq rh,qa(1, Westshore, Napier WAIRARAPA: Miss H. Cook, 15 ~allk&~treet,:~eatherston -. WANGANUI: Vacant WELLINGTON: M. L. Falconer, 188 Mimmiro Road, Normandale, Lower Hutt NELSON: F. H. Boyce, 19 ~ar~bank-~~ad.Nelson MARLBOROUGH: J. A. Cowie, P.O. Box-59, Kaikoura CANTERBURY: R. Guest, P.O. Box 133-4,, Christchkireh WEST COAST: Miss Joan Douglas, C/- Millerton P.O., via Westport OTAGO: Mrs. J. B. Hamel, 42 Ann Street, Roslyn, Duned-jn * SOUTHLAND: R. R. Sutton, P.O., Lorneville, Invercatgill ' -*- LITERATURE AVAILABLN From all bookshops: Annotated checklist of the birds of New Zealand. (OSNZ) $4.95 A field uide to the birds of New Zealarid, by R. A. FalIa, R. B. SLaon and E. G. Turbott, 2nd rev. ed. $5.00 From B. D. Heather, 10 Jocelyn Crescent, Pinehaven, Upper Hutt: A biology of birds, by B. D. Heather. ~ .. $1.33 ' From B. A. Ellis, 44 Braithwaife Street, ~leIlingtofa+3: Field guide to the waders, by <& T. Condop & A. R. McGill. Post Free $1.20 The following are available from Mrs J. F. Skinner, P.O. Box 60083, Titirangi, Auckland 7: Back numbers of ' Notornis ' at $1.00 (Vob 2-13) and $1.50 (Vols 14-21) and $2.00 (Vol 22-), plus an additional 10% of order cost to cover postage. Complete set8 available,. OSNZ Library catalogue, 70 pp. 50c Banding reports, Nos 8-14, 50c each. Nos 1-7 are incorporated in early issues of Notornlb. Kermadec Expedition, 1964, by A. T. Edgar. 45c NOTORNIS is the journal of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Editor: E. W. Dcwson, P.O. BOX41-002, EASTBOURNE VOLUME 23 PART 2 JUNE, 1976 - - -- - - - SOME OBSERVATIONS OF A COMMUNAL ROOST OF THE AUSTRALIAN HARRIER (Circus approximans gouldi) By L A HEDLEY ABSTRACT A communal roost of the Australasian Harrier was studied at Huntly from late January to early April 1975. The roost was situated in standing hay and extended over about 0.36 of a hectare. Most individual roosts were found clustered in groups among the most dense vegetation. Morning and evening observations showed that a consistent pattern of movement was followed. A limited amount of aerial displaying was also observed. Previously, it has been suggested that communal roosts occur when harriers gather to exploit a local food abundance. Evidence gathered from the Huntly roost indicates that this contention may not be true for all roosts. INTRODUCTION With the conclusion of the breeding season (January-February in the Huntly area), the Australasian Harrier (Circus approximans gouldi) shows an inclination to gather in communal roosts in favourable habitats. The number of birds involved in such communal roosts can vary considerably. Stead (1932) described roosts of two or three hundred birds whereas Middleditch (1949) reported a roost of 45 individuals at Lowburn in May 1948. Gurr (1968) gave several examples of roosts ranging in number from two up to 150 birds. On 23 January 1975, a small roost was discovered scattered through several fields of standing hay in an area situated 0.8 krn north- east of Huntly township. Observations were carried out each evening until 29 March 1975. Intermittent observations were made then until 9 April when the roost was finally dispersed by the mowing of the surrounding hay. It is likely, judging from the results of an individual roost count, that the roost had been in use for perhaps 3-4 weeks prior to its discovery. The following is a summary of the findings. 86 HEDLEY NOTORNIS 23 THE ROOST Observations generally began about an hour before sunset so that pre-roost activity could be seen. Early morning observations were also made on different occasions. Most individual roosts were found within an area covering 0.36 ha, roughly triangular in shape, and on an east-west axis. Vegetation in the roost was a mixture of rye grass (Lolium perenne). paspalum (Paspalurn clilatatrtm L.) and white clover (Trifolium repeizs L.. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) was occasionally seen. Individual roosts were invariably found amongst the most dense vege- tation. This was generally rye grass, being the most prolific and tallest growth (approx. 1 m). The area immediately beyond the roost consists largely of open pasture to the north, west and east. To the south the land is taken up by a large swamp, an open-cast mine operation and a land reclamation scheme. Individual roosts were generally elliptical, varying in size but generally 30-36 cm long and 20-26 cm wide, and were rounded at one end (sometimes both) as if the bird had used its body to shape out a cavity from the surrounding grass. Into this cavity faecal matter was ejected. Pellets could occasionally be found although two together was exceptional. These were deposited on the trampled grass which formed the floor of the rcost. Small amounts of down and feathers were also found. Individual roosts were clustered in rough groups, often in association with larger areas of trampled grass which varied in size, the largest being 8 m long and 5 m wide. The origin of these areas is not known though collections of feathers, down and faecal matter make it likely that they were used on occasion by roosting harriers. ' Paths ' between individual roosts could usually be seen, some being up to 12 m in length.