Te Papa vertebrate curator Dr Colin Miskelly recently spent 12 days on Ohinau Island (east of Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula) as part of a Te Papa seabird research team. This blog reports on the landbird species found on the island. Ohinau is a 43 ha forested island owned by Ngati Hei, and lying about 7 km… Read more »
Posts written by Colin Miskelly
Seabirds of Ohinau Island
Te Papa vertebrate curator Dr Colin Miskelly recently spent 12 days on Ohinau Island (east of Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula) as part of a Te Papa seabird research team studying flesh-footed shearwaters. This blog reports on the seabird species found on the island and nearby Ohinauiti Island. Ohinau is a 43 ha forested island owned by… Read more »
Life through a burrowscope lens (Part 3) – subterranean Snares Islands
A Te Papa team recently visited the Snares Islands, 105 km south-southwest of Stewart Island, where they completed a range of seabird research projects. The most time-consuming task was a re-survey of the vast sooty shearwater (titi, or muttonbird) population there. Estimating the population size was based on two main parameters – the number of… Read more »
Snares Islands – 1947 and 2013 – In the footsteps of Edgar Stead (Part 11)
Te Papa’s curator of terrestrial vertebrates Dr Colin Miskelly is researching the life and work of the Canterbury naturalist Edgar Stead (1881-1949). This includes re-taking Stead’s photos from the same photo-point, taking other images to illustrate his diaries, and describing how the ecology and wildlife of each of 11 islands has changed since Stead’s visits…. Read more »
Western Chain, Snares Islands – 1929 and 2013 – In the footsteps of Edgar Stead (Part 10)
Te Papa’s curator of terrestrial vertebrates Dr Colin Miskelly is researching the life and work of the Canterbury naturalist Edgar Stead (1881-1949). This includes re-taking Stead’s photos from the same photo-point, taking other images to illustrate his diaries, and describing how the ecology and wildlife of each of 11 islands has changed since Stead’s visits…. Read more »
HANZAB is now on NZ Birds Online!
Which probably reads as gobbledegook, unless you are a serious bird nerd. HANZAB is the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, and is the most comprehensive compilation of information on birds of this part of the world ever produced. The seven volumes were published between 1990 and 2006, and occupy 47 cm of… Read more »
A plague of flax weevils – a conservation hyper-success story
Most people think of weevils as little maggoty grubs that infest stored grain products. Which is true, but the reality is that the weevil family is the most diverse family of organisms on the planet, with more than 50,000 species. Weevils are beetles, and adults are characterised by having a long snout and antennae bent… Read more »
How many pelicans are there in New Zealand?
In a normal year, the answer to this question would be ‘one’ – namely Lanky, Wellington Zoo’s oldest resident. Lanky is an Australian pelican, and is the only captive pelican in New Zealand. He has been at the zoo since 1978, and is reported to be 37 years old. But the last year has not… Read more »
New Zealand Birds Online – a few of my favourite things: Part 2
Project manager and editor Colin Miskelly concludes his two-part blog on personal highlights from the New Zealand Birds Online website project. To see the first part, visit New Zealand Birds Online – a few of my favourite things: Part 1. Identify that bird The concept was simple – a three-step photographic key, letting viewers put a… Read more »
New Zealand Birds Online – a few of my favourite things: Part 1
New Zealand Birds Online has been by far the largest and most complex project that I have been involved with since joining the Te Papa team 3 years ago. Now, one month after the launch of the website, is an opportune time to take a step back and reflect on some personal highlights of the… Read more »