Posts tagged with saddleback

Rerewhakaupoko / Solomon Island – 1931 and 2012 – In the footsteps of Edgar Stead (Part 5)

Posted by & filed under Biodiversity, Birds, Field trips.

  • Broad-billed prion (parara) on Solomon Island, March 2012. Photo: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa
  • Jackbird (juvenile South Island saddleback - on left) and adult South Saddleback photographed 3 days after they were re-introduced to Solomon Island, March 2012. Photos: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa
  • Stewart Island robin on Solomon Island, March 2012. Photo: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa
  • Bush wren on Solomon Island, November 1931 (Edgar Stead photo 2001.59.20, Macmillan Collection, Canterbury Museum)

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 10 islands has changed since Stead’s visits. The… Read more »

No evidence that stoats have impacted on Kapiti Island’s birds

Posted by & filed under Biodiversity, Birds, Field trips, Mammals.

  • North Island saddleback displaying. Photo: Rob Cross
  • Timeline for stoat arrival, detection and the trapping of three individuals on Kapiti Island. The curve shows saddleback count results over the same period (average number of birds counted per 5 minutes), with no apparent reduction during the time that stoats were known to be present. Image: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa
  • A saddleback specimen in the Te Papa collection – an unwilling sentinel species for stoat impacts. Image: Te Papa
  • The skeleton of the male stoat trapped on Kapiti Island in February 2011 is held by Te Papa (LM 2603). Photo: Colin Miskelly, Te Papa

Kapiti Island is one of New Zealand’s premier bird sanctuaries. It is home to nationally important populations of little spotted kiwi, kaka, North Island saddleback, stitchbird and North Island robin, as well as other threatened bird species. The island was considered to be free of all introduced mammal pests after rats were eradicated in 1996…. Read more »