scholarly journals The breeding biology of Bennett's wallaby(Macropus rufogriseus jruticus)in South Canterbury, New Zealand

1977 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Catt
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Breeding Biology

Breeding biology of the Kakapo Strigops habroptilus on Stewart Island, New Zealand

Ibis ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 134 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. POWLESLAND ◽  
B. D. LLOYD ◽  
H. A. BEST ◽  
D. V. MERTON
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Breeding Biology

Breeding biology of the critically endangered Malherbe's parakeet on Maud Island, New Zealand, following the release of captive-bred individuals

2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Ortiz-Catedral ◽  
Jonathan C. Kearvell ◽  
Mark E. Hauber ◽  
Dianne H. Brunton
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Early Age ◽  
Small Islands ◽  
Austral Spring ◽  
Nesting Sites

We studied a population of the critically endangered Malherbe’s parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi), following the release of 62 captive-bred individuals on Maud Island, New Zealand, to identify and characterise nesting sites in a novel island environment. Previous work on Malherbe’s parakeets consisted of limited observations on remnant mainland populations. The age of breeding pairs on Maud Island was 7.2 ± 4.7 months and included both captive-bred individuals of the first release flock and individuals hatched on Maud Island within a year of the first release. Nests were found in hollows of mamaku (Cyathea medullaris), vacant nests of sacred kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus), a hole in the ground and a hollow in a kohekohe (Disoxylum spectabile). Active nests were found in the austral spring, summer and autumn. Clutch size was 5 eggs. The fledging of three Malherbe’s parakeets was confirmed for one nest 43 days after hatching. Observations of newly fledged individuals around the island indicate that at least seven successful nesting attempts occurred. Consistent with other studies in Cyanoramphus parakeets, our results suggest that availability of nesting sites on small islands may not be a limiting factor for the establishment of additional populations of Malherbe’s parakeets via captive breeding and translocation. The formation of breeding pairs at an early age, the use of diverse nesting sites in regenerating vegetation, and the evidence of successful breeding shortly after release on an island represent encouraging prospects for the conservation of New Zealand’s rarest parakeet.

scholarly journals Long-term changes in the breeding biology of a New Zealand bellbird population suggest plasticity in life-history responses to ecological restoration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle M. Roper ◽  
M.T. Harmer Aaron ◽  
Dianne H Brunton
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Anthornis Melanura ◽  
Over Time

AbstractEcological restoration projects provide excellent opportunities to study how animals adapt their life-history strategies in response to changeable environments. A fundamental way animals can optimise reproductive success in changing conditions is trading-off aspects of their breeding system. The New Zealand bellbird (Anthornis melanura) has had a long-term presence on the small restoration island, Tiritiri Matangi Island (Tiri), spanning the island’s degraded agricultural past to its current extensively restored state. We studied the breeding biology of this bellbird population to assess how their reproductive life-history strategies have responded over time to the restoration on Tiri. We compared the current breeding data (2012–2016) of the bellbirds with data from between 2001–2010 (including Baillie, 2011, Cope, 2007), and from 1977–1978 (Anderson and Craig, 2003), prior to the island’s restoration. We also explored associations between abiotic/biotic factors and bellbird reproductive success for the most recent period (2012–2016). Our main finding was that clutch size significantly declined over time from a mean of 3.6 to 2.4 eggs per nest and this decline correlated with increasing population density. This is consistent with a density dependent effect, although further data are required to empirically test this conclusion. Overall, the earliest spring laying dates were in late August and the latest extended to January, with all chicks fledged by the end of February. Nest success was 47% (range 40 – 54%) across 2012–2016, falling within a similar range as previous studies. We found little effect of year, weather, parental age or morphometrics on reproductive success. We observed directional change in patterns of parental investment between 1977–1978 and 2012–2016; in 2012–2016, parents persisted with raising single broods rather than abandoning and re-nesting to raise larger broods. These results suggest that the bellbirds’ life-history traits are plastic in response to local conditions which provides an advantage when repopulating a regenerating or changing habitat.

scholarly journals Buffering artificial nest boxes for procellariiformes breeding in exposed habitats: Investigating effects on temperature and humidity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Fischer ◽  
J Chambon ◽  
I Debski ◽  
JA Hiscock ◽  
R Cole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Buffering Capacity ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Artificial Nest ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Artificial Nest Boxes

© The Ornithological Society of New Zealand Inc. The tendency of various species, including many Procellariiformes, to breed in sub-terrestrial burrows, complicates breeding biology studies. Artificial nest boxes facilitate detailed data collection, but may alter the buffering capacity of natural burrows, especially when these nests are exposed to direct sunlight (e.g., in non-forested habitats). We tested the buffering capacity of artificial nest boxes, equipped with additional insulating features, ex-situ in a non-forested sand dune in New Zealand. Specifically, we compared daily temperature (°C) and relative humidity (%) means, minima, and maxima between artificial nest boxes, Procellariiform burrow replicas, and ambient conditions sourced further inland using linear mixed effects models (LMMs), followed by post-hoc tests. Differences between artificial nest boxes and replicas were non-significant (P > 0.05). Our results thus showed that the applied insulating features were sufficient to retain the buffering capacities expected in natural burrows, even in exposed habitats such as sand dunes. Hence, we encourage the use of insulated artificial nest boxes in breeding biology studies targeting burrowing Procellariiformes (and other sub-terrestrially breeding species) in non-forested areas.

Changes in the breeding biology of the Welcome Swallow (Hirundo tahitica) in New Zealand since colonisation

2003 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl L. Evans ◽  
Claire Tyler ◽  
Tim M. Blackburn ◽  
Richard P. Duncan
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Breeding Biology

scholarly journals Buffering artificial nest boxes for procellariiformes breeding in exposed habitats: Investigating effects on temperature and humidity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Fischer ◽  
J Chambon ◽  
I Debski ◽  
JA Hiscock ◽  
R Cole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Buffering Capacity ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Artificial Nest ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Artificial Nest Boxes

© The Ornithological Society of New Zealand Inc. The tendency of various species, including many Procellariiformes, to breed in sub-terrestrial burrows, complicates breeding biology studies. Artificial nest boxes facilitate detailed data collection, but may alter the buffering capacity of natural burrows, especially when these nests are exposed to direct sunlight (e.g., in non-forested habitats). We tested the buffering capacity of artificial nest boxes, equipped with additional insulating features, ex-situ in a non-forested sand dune in New Zealand. Specifically, we compared daily temperature (°C) and relative humidity (%) means, minima, and maxima between artificial nest boxes, Procellariiform burrow replicas, and ambient conditions sourced further inland using linear mixed effects models (LMMs), followed by post-hoc tests. Differences between artificial nest boxes and replicas were non-significant (P > 0.05). Our results thus showed that the applied insulating features were sufficient to retain the buffering capacities expected in natural burrows, even in exposed habitats such as sand dunes. Hence, we encourage the use of insulated artificial nest boxes in breeding biology studies targeting burrowing Procellariiformes (and other sub-terrestrially breeding species) in non-forested areas.

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