Birds of New Zealand:

1
Birds of New Zealand

• A brief history of endemic bird species and how
  evolution has made them susceptible to invasive
  species, which are a major cause to their decline
• Julie Means
• Global Studies-New Zealand
• November, 2005

2
Questions

• -What are the two differences between birds
  classified as passerines and non-passerines?
• -How has 80 million years of isolation affected
  the evolution of endemic bird species?
• -How has the introduced possum led to the decline
  of endemic bird species?

3
Questions

• -Give two reasons why Yellowheads are more
  susceptible to predation than other forest Birds
• -Why did humans introduce the now invasive
  European Starling?
• -Name two evolutionary characteristics of the
  Kiwi which resemble those of a mammal

4
Endemism

• 195 birds species reside in New Zealand
• 86 of these species are endemic
• This means there is a 44.1 rate of endemism on
  the island

www.sanctuary.org.nz/index.html
Rare, endemic male Stitchbird
5
Endemic species of New Zealand
www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/new_zeala
nd/biodiversity.xml
6
By comparison

• Great Britain, which separated from continental
  Europe only 10,000 years ago, has only 2 endemic
  species one animal and one plant.

Red-crowned Parakeet of New Zealand
www.sanctuary.org.nz/restoration/wildlife.html
7
The Decline of Endemic Birds Effects the entire
Natural Community

• New Zealands forests are now sometimes described
  asSilent Forests
• Bird diversity is not what it was 1,000 years ago
  before humans arrived
• Birds play important role in forest ecology

• http//p.vtourist.com/27164-Kiwi_Bird-New_Zealand.
  jpg

New Zealands rare, endemic Kiwi
8
Bird Basics Bird Topography
www.paulnoll.com/ Oregon/Birds/ID-body.html
9
Avifauna Classifications

• Passerines
• Song birds (intricate song for mating and
  territorial purposes)
• Toes structured for perching (back toe necessary)

• Non-Passerines
• Calls (shorter and simpler than songs used for
  communication)
• Do not perch upright (stand, climb, or wade)

10
Morphology of a Bird Foot
member.rivernet.com.au/balehirs/drBirdToes.JPG
11
Feet Structures of Birds
Note 3 forward toes and 1 backward toe for
perching birds (Passerines)
www.zoo.ufl.edu
12
Examples

• Non-Passerine
• Pukeko
• Abundant native

• Passerine
• Yellowhead
• Rare endemic

www.doc.govt.nz/Mohua(Yellowhead).asp
www.richard-seaman.com/ Wallpaper/Nature/Birds.
13
Wing Structures and Flight Profiles of various
Birds
www.zoo.ufl.edu
14
Birds in Danger

• Threatened Birds that have a significant drop in
  numbers and are on their way to endangerment
  unless action is taken to restore their
  population size.
• Endangered Birds in a critical state and are on
  their way to extinction unless conservation
  action is taken.
• Extinct A bird species gone forever. That
  particular species is completely wiped out.

15
Birds Classified as

• Native Birds that are naturally found in the
  country or are self-introduced
• Introduced Birds that were brought to the island
  by humans
• Invasive Introduced birds that are leading
  native and endemic bird species to their decline
  due to their aggressive and territorial nature
• Endemic Birds that are found only in New Zealand
  and nowhere else

16
Origins of New Zealand

• Gondwanaland The Super Continent
• Included Africa, South America, India, Australia,
  Antarctica, Papua New Guinea, Irian Jaya, and New
  Zealand
• Existed from 500 million years ago to 160 million
  years ago

www.uni-kl.de/.../ peltula/gondwanaland.gif
17
Gondwanaland

http//land.heim.at/toskana/210137/Dekoration/gond
wana.jpg
18
Isolated Evolution

• Super continent split and formed New Zealand a
  land mass in isolation for 80 million years
• Split occurred at time when dinosaurs became
  extinct and mammals had not risen to power yet
• This was longest period of isolation for any
  non-polar landmass on this planet
• Birds (and plants and animals) were separated
  from relatives

19
How has 80 million years of isolation affected
the evolution of endemic bird species?

• Lack of predators led to lack of fear towards now
  introduced mammals (includes humans)
• Vulnerable to predation because show few
  predator-avoidance behaviors
• Species evolved to be large and flightless
• Became ground-nesters and dwellers (eggs easily
  eaten)

www.nzti.com/images/bird-kakapo2.jpg
20
Evolutionary Susceptibility to Predation

• Endemic bird species evolved to fill niche of
  ground-dwelling mammals due to lack of native
  mammals on isolated island
• Birds become susceptible to predation when
  invasive mammals were introduced because of these
  unique, evolutionary features

21
Evolutionarily Unique, Endemic Birds

• Include
• Kiwi (Brown, Great Spotted, Little Spotted)
• Weka
• Kakapo
• Takahe
• Kokako

www.kamcom.co.nz/kiwi/stoategg.jpg
22
Locally Common, Endemic Weka
www.sanctuary.org.nz/restoration/wildlife.html
23
Rare, Endemic Takahe
www.mangoverde.com/.../ images/00000010028.jpg
www.mangoverde.com/.../ images/00000009625.jpg
24
The Kiwi

• Rare, endemic
• Good chance of seeing on Stewart Island in early
  morning feeding along beach
• Mammalian characteristics comparable to that of a
  Badger (Attenborough 32).

www.sanctuary.org.nz/restoration/wildlife.html
Little Spotted Kiwi
25
Mammalian Characteristics of Kiwi

• Nocturnal
• Lives in burrow in ground
• Probes unique, long bill into soil to eat
  earth-dwelling insects (worms)
• Marks its territory
• Tiny, eyes which cannot see at great lengths

26
Comparison of Bill Types
www.stthomasschool.org/ Classrooms/ausnz/kiwi.jpg
Long Bill for Probing for Food
www.zoo.ufl.edu
27
Mammalian Characteristics of Kiwi

• Feathers resemble coarse fur (hard, waterproof,
  and hair-like)
• No sign of wings or tail feathers
• Excellent sense of smell
• Bristles around bill allow kiwi to feel way
  around dark (resemble whiskers)

28
Comparison
www.southpenquite.co.uk/badger.jpg
www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/new_zeala
nd/impacts.xml
Badger
Greater Spotted Kiwi
29
New Zealands Endemic Mammals

• Only 2 existing land-mammals on island are
  endemic
• Lesser Short-tailed Bat
• walks on ground on all fours because of evolution
  of predator-free environment
• Declining in population
• (Its relative, Greater Short-tailed Bat, is now
  extinct due to predation by ship rats)
• (Hookers Sea Lion is only endemic ocean-dwelling
  mammal)

30
Lesser Short-Tailed Bat
www.batcon.org/batsmag/ images/v2n3b.jpg
www.mtbruce.org.nz/ images/bat_map.gif
Out of the 951 bat species in the world today,
only 2 species live in New Zealand the endemic
Lesser Short-Tailed Bat and the more common,
native Long-Tailed Bat.
31
Humans arrive and introduce invasive species

• Began with Polynesian Maoris arrival around 1000
  CE
• Brought Kiore, Polynesian Rat
• Sole invasive for approx. 800 years
• European settlers arrive in early 1800s
• Europeans Brought 34 invasive mammal species

32
Invasive Mammals

• Possum
• Feral cat
• Deer
• Ferret
• Goat
• Hedgehog
• Pig
• Rabbit
• Rat
• Stoat (in weasel family)
• Himalayan Tahr (relative of wild goat)

www.york.ac.uk/.../ ExxonPicsLarge/Stoat.jpg

33
Common Brush Tail Possum

• Invasive from Australia
• Most destructive mammal in New Zealand
• Can climb and defoliate trees
• Released between 1837 and 1924 to establish fur
  trade
• Population now at 70 million

www.backpack-newzealand.com/ articles/topic69.php

• Possum

34
Effects of the Possum and other introduced
Mammals

• Damage native forests and reduce native plant
  species (birds are not the only species in
  decline due to invasive species)
• Compete with native birds for habitat and food
  sources (berries, seeds and insects)
• Eat nesting birds eggs and chicks
• Overall, reducing bird populations to their
  threatened/endangered/extinct statuses
• Actions are being taken to control the possum
  population including bait stations

35
Possums are considered Pests
www.pesst.co.nz/
36
A Case Study in Stoat Predation of Hole-Nesting
Birds

• New Zealand Journal of Zoology
• Colin F. J. Odonnell
• Stoat considered main threat in this study
• Case study of Yellowheads (Mohua)
• Rare, endemic passerines
• Habitat Tall, native forests (Red Beech of South
  Island)

37
Why are Yellowheads more susceptible to predation
than other forest Birds?

• 1.) Nest in holes with only one entrance
• Stoats will eat eggs, chicks, and incubating
  adults because unable to escape
• 2.) Females are only species to incubate
• Biased sex ratio caused among adults who survive
  predation and try to re-nest

www.backpack-newzealand.com/.../ yellowhead.jpg
Yellowhead about to enter nest in hole
38
Why are Yellowheads more susceptible to predation
than other forest Birds?

• 3.) Their nesting/incubation periods are approx.
  2 weeks longer than other passerines
• Longer periods of time for vulnerability
• 4.) Chicks are loud in the nest
• Predators easily identify them as targets

www.doc.govt.nz/Conservation
39
Why are Yellowheads more susceptible to predation
than other forest Birds?

• 5.) Yellowheads nest later than most passerines
• Still nesting when stoats reach their peak
  numbers in December/January

www.kaipatiki.org.nz/images/weas.jpg
40
Features are shared by other Susceptible,
hole-nesting Species

• -Kaka Habitat preferences
• -Forest patches in open country
• -Trees Prefered Silver Beech, Kamahi, Rimu,
  Rata, Southern Totara, Mistletoe, Miro, Fuchsia),
  and Dead trees
• -Prefer large diameter trees

www.doc.govt.nz/Conservation/001Plants-and-Animal
s
Relative to the Kea, the Mountain Parrot the
Kaka
41
Other Hole-Nesters and their Habitat Preferences

• Red-Crowned Parakeet
• Native forests, forest and scrub on offshore,
  predator-free islands (Stewart Island)
• Yellow-Crowned Parakeet
• Native forests
• (Both parakeets prefer large diameter trees)

www.camacdonald.com/ birding/Yellow-crownedPar
Yellow-Crowned Parakeet
42
The Decline of Yellowheads

• Yellowheads started to decline greatly around the
  1890s
• Between 1900 1930, Yellowheads disappeared from
  many locations on the West Coast and Stewart
  Island
• Currently almost absent from 75 of their former
  range

43
What Humans are doing to help this Problem

• Department of Conservation established a recovery
  plan for Yellowheads through predator control by
  trapping
• Traps are laid every 100 meters in a grid layout
  which covers half-a-square kilometer

www.amanita-photolibrary.co.uk/ photo_library/
Stoat Trap
44
Humans Collaborating to make Traps
www.tararuvalley.org/ photos_monthly/photos_ma
Building newly designed stoat trap tunnels
www.tararuvalley.org/ photos_monthly/photos_ma
Possum Traps
45
Test and Results of Trapping

• A test was made during a stoat irruption which
  compared trapped and un-trapped areas
• Trapped area 80 nests fledged (reared their
  young to fly)
• Un-Trapped area 36 of young fledged
• Results Almost 2 times as many young
  produced/reared in trapped area
• Larger number of breeding females disappeared
  from un-trapped areas

46
There is Hope for the Yellowhead

• Have high reproductive rate
• Can lay up to 4 eggs each year
• After original eggs hatch and fledge, pair can
  lay another brood
• If Stoat populations can be controlled and
  greatly reduced through human intervention, then
  Yellowheads have the potential to make a comeback
• This control of predators means increased
  populations for all avifauna and forest-dwellers
  of New Zealand, not just hole-nesters

47
Invasive/Introduced Passerines

• Include
• European Starling
• House Sparrow
• Canada goose
• Mute swan
• Rock pigeon
• Blackbird
• Australian Magpie
• Many of these species are abundant in US due to
  European introductions

www.backyardbirdcam.com/ gallery/sparrow-house
House Sparrows
48
Effects of Introduced Bird Species

• Numbers have increased dramatically since
  introduction
• Usually condemned for their aggressiveness
• Compete with native birds for food (insects and
  berries)
• In winter, endemic birds may descend to coastal
  lowlands looking for food supplies
• Area occupied by introduced birds chase them off
  their territories very territorial

49
Why did Europeans introduce foreign bird species?

• Destruction of natural forests for farmland
• Hordes of insects form when farmland takes over
  forests
• Settlements formed
• Native bird species afraid of humans so would not
  eat the insects anymore
• Birds retreated from agricultural fields

50

European Starling

• Practical introduction by Europeans in 1800s
• 3 qualifications
• Eat insects and seeds (so they could survive
  winters)
• Non-migratory (so they stayed in one place
  year-round)
• Prolific breeders (to expand their populations
  and continue to eat pests)

www.nzbirds.com/birds/starlingshtml
51
Another Perspective

• Introduced birds are occupying an ecological
  niche created by destruction of forest and
  spread of farmland which has been made available
  to them by humans
• Human introductions
• humans need to take steps to change habitat
  through re-growth of forests and ensure there is
  food supply sufficient enough to sustain native
  birds throughout the year

52
Bird Species Diversity and Abundance before and
after Possum Eradication

• Eric B. Spurr Sandra H. Anderson
• Birds on Rangitoto Island
• Study looking at complete ecology before
  selective eradication
• 1990-1999 program eradicated Brush-Tailed
  possums

53
Results of Possum Eradication

• Tui, Silvereyes, and Australasian Harrier
  populations increased
• Decrease in possum population led to increase in
  flowering of Pohutukawa Rewarewa, -because
  they were not eaten by possums

www.travelwithachallenge.com/.../ Tui-Bird.jpg
Endemic Tui
54
Bird Species to increase in Possum Eradication
Program

photogallery.canberrabirds.org.au/ images/Silv
Native Silvereye
www.artshrine.com/dawson/harrier.jpg
Native Australasian Harrier
55
Recovery of Vegetation

www.webgallery.co.nz
www.merrynjose.com/ artman /uploads/pohutukawa.jpg

Pohutukawa
Rewarewa
56
Forest-wide Effects

• -All of biodiversity effected by predation by
  invasives
• -Species rely on each other
• -Plants rely on birds, birds rely on plants
• -Food, seed dispersal
• -Though stoats, cats, and other rodents still
  remain a problem in decreasing other bird
  species populations

gvctemp06.virtualclassroom.org/.../ Possum.jpg
57
Endemic Species harmed by other factors

• 1 cause introduced mammal predators (invasive
  species)
• Competition with invasive birds brought over by
  Europeans
• Loss of habitat due to human impact
• Deforestation
• Wetland drainage
• Farmland creation

58
Extinction

• Since humans arrival approx. 1,000 years ago,
  approx. 40 birds have gone extinct
• Thats almost half of the original bird
  population
• Some currently existing populations have very
  restricted distributions
• Very localized not nearly as wide spread as
  used to be

59
The Rare, Endemic Kokako
www.mangoverde.com/.../ images/00000009636.jpg

www.ruggedyrange.com/images/images/Kokako.jpg
60
Extremely Limited Range

• Currently restricted to 15 sites on North Island
  only
• Habitat formerly Beech and mixed forest in South
  and Stewart Island
• Ornithologists working to trans-locate breeding
  pairs to sites where predators are managed to
  recover population

www.kokakorecovery.org.nz/kokako/conservation/popu
lations.html
61
The Extinct Moas

• All 11 species hunted to extinction by 1600s
• Largest bird to ever exist
• Largest of species
• 500 pounds
• 2-3 meters tall

www.uib.no/.../ Text20Pictures/Moa.jpg
62
Moas fell Prey to other Predators

• Evolved to have no relics of wings or wing bones
  (un-like ostriches)
• Completely flightless and susceptible to other
  predators
• Hunted by Maori people and Giant Eagle for meat
• Still sought as prey even though no natural
  mammalian predators on island

63
Moas
www.nzbirds.com/Moahunt001.JPG
Maoris Hunting Moas
darkwing.uoregon.edu/tmartin1/nz/Arthur/moa.jpg
Life Size Statue of Moa

64
The Giant Eagle

• Became extinct 200 years after first humans
  (Maoris) arrived
• Worlds largest bird of prey
• Weighed 30 pounds
• 9-foot wing span
• Talons the size of a tiger

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpagornis
Extinct Giant Eagle attacking extinct, flightless
Moa
65
Lack of Natural Predators

• Giant Eagle takes on role as New Zealands sole
  predator
• Attacked prey greater than its own size due to
  lack of other predators
• Did not have to carry the prey away from other
  potential predators
• Tremendous advantage
• Wings

www.nzbirds.com
66
Many factors resulting in extinction of Giant
Eagle

• Because of arrival of humans, most of its forest
  habitat was cleared by fire
• Most of the large flightless birds (Moas) it ate
  had been hunted to extinction by Maoris and by
  other Giant Eagles
• Its sole diet was killed off
• Extinct by approx. 1400 CE

67
Extinct Endemic Avifauna since 1900

• Some include
• Piopio (probably)
• Laughing Owl
• Huia
• Bush Wren (probably)
• Auckland Island Merganser

www.owlpages.com
Extinct Laughing Owl Last recorded 1914
68
Recently Extinct Birds
www.terranature.org/ merganser_Schouten300.jpg
www.terranature.org/wrenBush.jpg
Auckland Island Merganser Last recorded 1902
Bush Wren Last recorded on Stewart Island, 1972
69
Recently Extinct Birds
www.huia.net.nz/graphics/huia_painting.jpg
Huia Last recorded 1907
www.nzbirds.com/Buller2ndPiopio2.jpg
Piopio Last recorded 1902
70
Problem exists on a Global Scale

• Other geographically Isolated Islands
• Madagascar
• Australia
• Guam (island in Pacific Ocean)
• Hawaii ( where 30 of all now-extinct species
  used to live)
• Even U.S. has large problem with invasive birds

71
www.charitybaptist.org/Missions/World20Map.GIF
Madagascar
Australia
Guam
Hawii
New Zealand
72
Hope is the thing with Feathers

• - Emily Dickinson
• Pre-human bird diversity will never be re-gained
• Yet, forest can become less silent through
  control of invasive species and habitat
  preservation
• Humans must do their part to help

www.doc.govt.nz/ images/kiwi2.jpg
Kiwi
73
Questions

• -What are the two differences between birds
  classified as passerines and non-passerines?
• -How has 80 million years of isolation affected
  the evolution of endemic bird species?
• -How has the introduced possum led to the decline
  of endemic bird species?

74
Questions

• -Give two reasons why Yellowheads are more
  susceptible to predation than other forest Birds
• -Why did humans introduce the now invasive
  European Starling?
• -Name two evolutionary characteristics of the
  Kiwi which resemble those of a mammal

75
Works Cited

• Attenborough, David. The Life of Birds. New
  Jersey Princeton University Press, 1998.
• Dawson, John, and Rob Lucas. Nature Guide to the
  New Zealand Forest. Auckland Random House New
  Zealand, 2000.
• ODonnell, Colin. Predators and the Decline of
  New Zealand Forest Birds an Introduction to the
  Hole-Nesting Bird and Predator Programme. New
  Zealand Journal of Zoology 23 (1996) 213-219.
• Perrins, Christopher. Firefly Encyclopedia of
  Birds. Toronto Firefly Books Ltd, 2003.

76
Works Cited

• Readers Digest Association. Birds Their life,
  their ways, their world. New York The Readers
  Digest Association, Inc, 1980.
• Robertson, Hugh, and Barrie Heather. The Hand
  Guide to the Birds of New Zealand. Oxford Oxford
  University Press, 2001.
• Sibley, David Allen. The Sibley Field Guide to
  Birds of Eastern North America. New York
  Chanticleer Press, 2003.
• Spurr, Anderson. Birds on Rangitoto Island. New
  Zealand Journal of Ecology. 28 (2004) 143-150.

77
List of Sources

• www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/new_zeala
  nd/
• www.answers.com/topic/list-of-introduced-species
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_invasive_spec
  iesMammals
• http//www.nzbirds.com/birds/gallery.html
• www.doc.govt.nz/Conservation/001Plants-and-Animal
  s/index.asp
• www.showcaves.com/english/nz/Geology.html
• www.doc.ic.ac.uk/kpt/terraquest/va/science/geolog
  y/geology.htmlA
• www.land.heim.at/toskana/210137/Dekoration/gondwan
  a.jpg

78
List of Sources

• www.sanctuary.org.nz/restoration/wildlife.html
• www.doc.govt.nz/Conservation/002Animal-Pests/Poss
  ums/index.asp
• www.batcon.org/batsmag/v2n3-1.html
• www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinct_birds
• www.home.hetnet.nl/harrie.maas/speciesinfo/haasts
  eagle.htm
• www.kiwirecovery.org.nz
• www.kokakorecovery.org.nz/kokako/conservation/rein
  trodctions.htmlwww.owlpages.com/image.php?imagesp
  ecies-Sceloglaux-albifacies-1