⦠the birds and the people ⦠- Ornithological Society of New Zealand
Birds New Zealand Scientific Conference & 75th AGM 29 May -1 June 2015 ● Blenheim, Marlborough … the birds and the people … www.osnz.org.nz Birds New Zealand Scientific Conference & 75th AGM would like to thank our sponsors and supporters. Programme Contents About the Birds New Zealand Scientific Conference & 75th AGM Birds New Zealand (the Ornithological Society of New Zealand) is an incorporated Society that encourages, organises and promotes the study of birds and their habitat use particularly within the New Zealand region and fosters and supports the wider knowledge and enjoyment of birds generally. This Scientific Conference & 75th AGM will allow Society members and the general public to hear about current ornithological research and those events that have been occurring throughout the country over the past 75 years that have been undertaken by Birds New Zealand. This gathering gives people the chance to meet other professional and amateur ornithologists to discuss all things birds and learn more about the Society while enjoying the Marlborough area and unique birds in this region. About the conference 1 Welcome 2 General information 3 Daily Programme 5 Scientific Conference Programme 6 Workshop information 8 Field trip information 9 Abstracts 10 AGM details 24 Strategy for Birds New Zealand 2015-2024 DRAFT MOU between OSNZ & RF&BPS 25 31 This is a paperless conference – the Marlborough branch of Birds New Zealand feels it is important to reduce waste. Photo credits (front cover) Small images from left to right: King shags: Andy Cox, Department of Conservation Black-fronted tern: Rob Suisted, Naturespic.com Black-billed gull: Bart Donato, UK Large image: Marlborough Sounds: Rob Suisted, Naturespic.com BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 1 Welcome Dear Delegates, On behalf of the Birds New Zealand Scientific Conference & 75th AGM Organising Committee, the Birds New Zealand Council and the Marlborough Branch, we enthusiastically welcome you to our conference all about “the birds and the people” in beautiful Blenheim, Marlborough. It is our hope that by gathering here and sharing stories and studies, we will together ensure the Society and the important work it supports lasts well into the future. The two-day scientific programme covers a wide range of topics, species and regions as well as aspects of the Society’s history, future plans and events. We hope the important results from these many projects will be written up in the Society’s scientific publication Notornis, or in the Birds New Zealand quarterly magazine. The workshops will give people the chance to experience hands-on ornithological methods such as mist-netting and measuring birds and learn about entering their valuable observations into eBird. The field trips will give you all the opportunity to view some of the unique species present in and around Marlborough as well as the visiting some amazing locations. The AGM will give members a chance to voice their views on the processes and programmes of the Society as well as getting an update of the previous year’s activities through Officers of the Society reports. It is the goal of this scientific conference to put the Society’s history and support of bird research and study to a national audience. We hope you enjoy the conference and we look forward to showing you Marlborough and the birds that live here. Mike Bell Elizabeth (Biz) Bell Claudia Mischler Paul Garner-Richards Organising Committee Birds New Zealand, Marlborough Branch BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 2 General Information Conference Facilities Marlborough Convention Centre (MCC) 42a Alfred Street, Blenheim The conference venue is the Marlborough Convention Centre. Unless noted otherwise, all conference sessions will take place in this location. There are three spaces at the MCC that the conference will be using: the Entrance Foyer for the registration and information desk and trade tables; Wairau Hall for the main scientific conference presentations and AGM; and, Awatere Hall for poster presentations, mingling and space for eating morning and afternoon teas and lunch. The conference dinner will be in both Wairau Hall and Awatere Hall (the connecting wall will be removed). Scenic Hotel Marlborough (SHM) 65 Alfred Street, Blenheim The Council and Regional Representative meetings, Happy Hour events, Informal Dinner and Measuring Birds workshop are all held at the Scenic Hotel Marlborough. Registration Full conference registration fees include access to all sessions, including scientific conference presentations, Birds New Zealand AGM and workshops. Full registration also includes morning tea, afternoon tea and lunch on Saturday 30 May and Sunday 31 May. Daily registration fees includes access to all scheduled scientific conference presentations, morning tea and afternoon tea and lunch on the selected day. Registration and Information Desk hours The Birds New Zealand Scientific Conference & 75th AGM registration and information desk is located in the entrance foyer of the Scenic Hotel Marlborough on Friday 29 May 2015 and is open between 4 pm and 6 pm. On Saturday 30 May and Sunday 31 May 2015 the registration and information desk is located in the entrance foyer of the Marlborough Convention Centre and is open between 8 am and 9 am each day. If you need assistance during the conference, please visit this desk - there will be a Marlborough member on the desk throughout the conference. Name Badges Your name badge is your admission to the conference sessions, morning tea, afternoon tea, lunch, workshops and field trips. Please wear it at all times. At the end of the conference we ask that you recycle your name badge in one of the name badge collection points or leave it at the registration desk. Message Board For your convenience, a Message Board will be located near the Registration and Information Desk. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 3 Speakers All speakers will be required to have their presentations ready for loading onto the Conference laptop at least one session prior to their talk. These can be given to the team at the Registration and Information Desk or to one of the Scientific Committee (particularly Mike Bell or Claudia Mischler). Workshops There are four workshops - Mist-netting, Measuring Birds, eBird and Organising OSNZ projects – occurring on Sunday 31 May 2015. All of these workshops depart from the Marlborough Convention Centre. Further details available on Page 8 and from the Registration and Information Desk. Field trips There are two full day field trips (Queen Charlotte Sound and Albatross Encounter) and two half day field trips (Wairau Lagoon and Falcon Trust) occurring on Monday 1 June. All of these field trips depart from the Marlborough Convention Centre at 8 am. Comfortable shoes or boots, suitable warm clothes and rain jackets should be worn on all field trips. Don’t forget your camera. Further details available on Page 9 and from the Registration and Information Desk. Internet Services Internet service will not be provided by the Conference. Delegates who stay at the Scenic Hotel Marlborough should receive wifi coverage during their stay. Free wifi is available at a number of locations throughout Blenheim, including at the Marlborough Library, I-Site, Seymour Square and Liz Davidson Park. No Smoking Policy The Birds New Zealand Scientific Conference & 75th AGM is a non-smoking event; all venues, workshops and fieldtrips will be smoke-free. Best Oral Paper Award Any person presenting an oral paper will be eligible for the Best Oral Paper Award. There is only one award. The award will be made based on quality of research or activity and the presentation itself. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 4 Birds New Zealand Scientific Conference and 75th AGM Daily Programme Friday 29 May 2015 Time 0900-1000 1000-1030 1030-1200 1200-1300 1300-1500 1500-1530 1530-1700 1600-1800 1700-1900 1900-2100 Location Chart Room, SHM Chart Room, SHM Chart Room, SHM Marlborough Room, SHM Chart Room, SHM Marlborough Room, SHM Marlborough Room, SHM Marlborough Room, SHM Entrance Foyer, SHM Chart Room, SHM Restaurant, Bamboo Garden Saturday 30 May 2015 Time 0800-0900 0900-1030 1030-1100 1100-1230 1230-1330 1330-1530 1530-1600 1600-1800 1800-1900 1900 to end Location Entrance Foyer, MCC Wairau Hall, MCC Entrance Foyer, MCC Wairau Hall, MCC Entrance Foyer, MCC Wairau Hall, MCC Entrance Foyer, MCC Wairau Hall, MCC Bar, SHM Restaurant, SHM Sunday 31 May 2015 Time 0800-0900 0900-1030 1030-1100 1100-1230 1230-1330 1330-1530 1530-1600 1600-1730 1730-1900 1900 to end Location Entrance Foyer, MCC Various locations Entrance Foyer, MCC Wairau Hall, MCC Entrance Foyer, MCC Wairau Hall, MCC Entrance Foyer, MCC Wairau Hall, MCC Bar, SHM Restaurant, SHM Monday 1 June 2015 Time 0800-1800 0800-1200 Location Carpark, MCC Carpark, MCC Function Birds New Zealand Council Meeting Morning Tea (Council) Birds New Zealand Council Meeting Lunch (Council and RR’s) Birds New Zealand Council Meeting Birds New Zealand RR’s Meeting Afternoon Tea (Council and RR’s) Combined Council and RR’s meeting Registration Desk Open Birds New Zealand Council Meeting Dinner (Council and RR’s) Function Registration Desk Open Scientific Conference (Presentations) Morning Tea Scientific Conference (Presentations) Lunch Scientific Conference (Presentations) Afternoon Tea Birds New Zealand 75th AGM Happy Hour Informal Dinner Function Registration Desk Open Workshops Morning Tea Scientific Conference (Presentations) Lunch Scientific Conference (Presentations) Afternoon Tea Scientific Conference (Presentations) Happy Hour & Open Forum Conference Dinner Birding Quiz Night Function Full-day field trips (2 options) Half-day field trips (2 options) BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 5 Birds New Zealand Scientific Conference Programme Time 0900-0910 0910-0915 0915-0930 0930-1000 1000-1030 1030-1100 1100-1115 1115-1145 1145-1200 1200-1215 1215-1230 1230-1330 1330-1335 Day One: Saturday 30th May 2015 Conference information Session One: From the beginning – the history of Birds New Zealand Chair: Mike Bell Formal Opening: David Lawrie; President, Birds New Zealand. Keynote Address: Colin Miskelly - From rugged individuals to digital networking – a brief history of Birds New Zealand. Keynote Address: Elizabeth (Biz) Bell - Trials and tribulations of field ornithology: looking at 75 years of day trips and longer expeditions to watch birds. MORNING TEA Session Two: Thinking big – Birds NZ National Projects. Chair: Phil Battley Keynote address: Phil Battley - Wandering the tidelines: wader studies and the OSNZ. Ian Armitage - New developments in the Beach Patrol Scheme for recording and reporting information about seabirds found dead on New Zealand coastlines. Sharon Alderson - Mana Island Field Camp 2015 – Worth doing again??? Peter Frost and Graeme Taylor - Is the red-billed gull population in New Zealand declining or just shifting around? LUNCH Session Three: The glue of Birds New Zealand - Regional Projects. 1530-1600 Chair: Peter Frost Peter Frost and Ingrid Hutzler - A review of current Birds New Zealand regional research activities. South Auckland: David Lawrie, Gillian Vaughan and Tony Habraken – 50 years of Wader Counts in the Manukau Harbour – what has been learnt? Marlborough: Claudia Mischler - Not just another gull… Auckland: Mel Galbraith, Gwen Pulham, Judy Bendall and Michael Taylor - South Kaipara Lakes (Auckland) – surveys and changes since the 1960’s. Wellington: Geoff de Lisle - Preliminary observations from a survey of shags in the Wellington Region. Nelson: Willie Cook - Caspian tern studies in Nelson. National: Duncan Watson - Birding Checklist Smartphone Application AFTERNOON TEA 1600-1800 Birds New Zealand 75th Annual General Meeting 1335-1400 1400-1415 1415-1430 1430-1445 1445-1500 1500-1515 1515-1530 1800-1900 19.00 to end Happy Hour at the Scenic Hotel Marlborough Informal Dinner at the Scenic Hotel Marlborough BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 6 Time 0900-10.30 1030-1100 1100-1105 1105-1110 1110-1125 1125-1145 1145-1200 1200-1215 1215-1230 1230-1330 1330-1340 1340-14:00 1400-1415 1415-1430 1430-1445 1445-1500 1500-1515 1515-1530 1530-1600 1600-1615 1615-1630 1630-1645 1645-1700 1700-1715 1715-1730 1730-1900 19.00 to end Day Two: Sunday 31st May 2015 Workshops WS1: Mist netting [Please note: 0630 departure from MCC carpark] WS2: eBird [Please note: 0830 departure from MCC carpark] WS3: Measurements of birds – Marlborough Room, SHM WS4: OSNZ Projects – Wairau Hall, MCC MORNING TEA Conference notices and information Session Four: Looking ahead: the future of Birds New Zealand Chair: Bruce McKinlay Keynote Address: Bruce McKinlay, David Lawrie & Ian Armitage - A Strategy for the Society: 2015-2024. Keynote Address: David Melville - Birds New Zealand: Making a difference. Stefanie Grosser - The students and the Birds (New Zealand) - A study of a mutually beneficial relationship Graeme A. Taylor, Colin M. Miskelly, Helen Gummer and Mike Bell - Seabird translocations in New Zealand – achievements and lessons learned from the past Chris Gaskin - Birds New Zealand and Important Bird Areas. LUNCH Session Five: Members contributed papers Chair: Alan Tennyson Alan Tennyson and Jamie Wood - Holocene fossils reveal extent of human-caused devastation on the Pitt Island (Chatham Islands) avifauna. Kyle Morrison, Phil Battley and David Thompson - Native predators are causing the continued decline of an Eastern Rockhopper Penguin colony on Campbell Island. Kerry-Jayne Wilson and Helen Otley - Research and Management priorities for New Zealand Penguins Judith Nicholson, N. Adams & M. Galbraith - Water birds at Waiatarua Reserve 2009 15. Richard Holdaway, M. Christian, O. Evans, B. Evans, P. Davidson, P. Sagar, D. Thompson, A. Greer, T. Horton & R. Phillips - Migration and breeding season movements of Norfolk Island wedge-tailed shearwaters. Bruce McKinlay, D. Lawrie & K. Woodley - Migratory bird flyways – priorities for NZ. Paul Scofield & Vanesa De Pietri - eBird and the Birds New Zealand/OSNZ: Seven Years On AFTERNOON TEA Susan Anderson - The Ohau black-fronted terns – a success story? Nick Ledgard and Bev Alexander - Positive trends in bird numbers on the Ashley/Rakahuri river. Aalbert Rebergen - Productivity and survival in a marked population of banded dotterels. Catriona MacLeod, G. Fitzgerald, M. Brake, P. Wehi and A. Gormley - Building trustworthy biodiversity indicators Rob Schuckard - New Zealand King Shag (Leucocarbo carunculatus) – An update. John Cockrem - Corticosterone responses and personality in birds: individual variation and the ability to cope with environmental change HAPPY HOUR & OPEN FORUM – Scenic Hotel Marlborough Formal Conference Dinner – Marlborough Convention Centre Entertainment: Birding Quiz Night BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 7 Birds New Zealand Workshop Details Sunday, 31 May 2015 1. Mistnetting 6.30 am – 10.30 am (Depart and return to the Marlborough Convention Centre) 35 Selmes Road, Rapaura, Blenheim Breakfast provided Hosts: Brian and Sue Bell Hands-on training in the capture, safe removal from mist nets, handling and banding of birds. 2. Measuring birds 9 am – 10.30 am (Depart and return to the Marlborough Convention Centre) Marlborough Room, Scenic Hotel Marlborough Hosts: Biz Bell and Claudia Mischler Hands-on training in the methods to measure birds (using a range of dead specimens). 3. eBird 8.30 am – 10.30 am (Depart and return to the Marlborough Convention Centre) Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT), Budge Street, Blenheim Hosts: Bruce McKinlay and Nikki McArthur Hands-on training on how to enter and manage your bird observations. 4. Organising OSNZ Projects 9 am – 10.30 am Wairau Hall, Marlborough Convention Centre Hosts: Ralph Powlesland Open discussion and instructions on how to get an OSNZ Project from the idea stage through planning to implementation. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 8 Birds New Zealand Field Trip Details Monday, 1 June 2015 1. Albatross Encounter, Kaikoura FULL DAY: 8 am – 6 pm (Depart and return to the Marlborough Convention Centre) 1 ½ hour bus journey each way and an extended 4 ½ hour pelagic boat cruise Lunch provided Guide: Albatross Encounter Guide On an extended boat-based tour, Albatross Encounter will bring you up close to a diverse array of seabirds including albatross, petrels, shearwaters, shags, terns and gulls. These species all occur naturally within a close proximity of the Kaikoura Peninsula as Kaikoura's marine environment is home to more seabird species in a small area than anywhere else in the New Zealand. 2. Queen Charlotte Sound, Marlborough FULL DAY: 8 am – 6 pm (Depart and return to the Marlborough Convention Centre) ½ hour bus journey each way and an extended 4 ½ hour boat cruise Lunch provided Guide: Bill Cash and Dolphin Watch & Nature Tours Guide A boat-based tour cruising the Queen Charlotte Sounds on a scenic journey calling in at Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary, Blumine Island and Ship’s Cove. Chances to see king shags, blue penguins, South Island saddleback, kereru, bellbirds, orange and yellow-crowned parakeets, South Island robin, weka, variable oystercatchers, spotted shag, pied shag, white-fronted terns, gannets and fluttering shearwaters to name but a few. Possibly also see Hector's, bottlenose, or dusky dolphins and fur seals. 3. Wairau Lagoon, Blenheim HALF DAY: 8 am – 12 noon (Depart and return to the Marlborough Convention Centre) 15 minute bus journey each way and 3 hour easy walk Guide: Will Parsons The chance to see cirl buntings in a birdwatcher’s paradise and home to more than 90 species, Wairau Lagoon Walkway gives an insight into the lagoons and the habitat they provide for birds. Looping from the carpark along the upper lagoon’s shoreline, past Budges and Moerepo Islands to the lagoons' main channel where the rusting hulk of the Waverley sits in the mud. Other birds that are likely to be seen are royal spoonbill, shags, terns, herons and kingfishers. 4. Marlborough Falcon Trust (MFT), Blenheim HALF DAY: 8 am – 12 noon (Depart and return to the Marlborough Convention Centre) 15 minute bus journey each way and 2 hour tour Guide: Andy Frost and Diana Dobson, Falcon Trust Marlborough Falcon Trust cares for a small population of injured or otherwise unreleasable New Zealand falcons in their custom-built aviary complex at Brancott Estate. Currently holding three pairs of breeding falcons, MFT releases offspring into the wild so that they can contribute to future generations of falcons as part of their ‘Legacy’ to Marlborough conservation. A wonderful opportunity to meet and view New Zealand’s only endemic raptor close up, with a chance to try some of Brancott Estates wines following the tour. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 9 Abstracts Session One: From The beginning - the history of Birds NZ Formal conference opening David Lawrie; President Birds New Zealand From rugged individuals to digital networking – a brief history of Birds New Zealand Colin M. Miskelly Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, PO Box 467, Wellington, New Zealand. [email protected] For the first four decades of the 20th Century, bird study in New Zealand was undertaken by a handful of professional ornithologists and a few keen amateurs, in the absence of any national organisation. The initiative to form the Ornithological Society of New Zealand came from Robert Falla at Canterbury Museum and Brian Marples of the University of Otago. Among the 34 members who paid their 5 shillings before the first meeting in May 1940 were many people who are now considered legends of New Zealand ornithology. From the outset, the focus of OSNZ was bird study, as distinct from bird protection, which was “the province of an already existing body”. Results of the studies were promulgated through annual reports, which evolved through NZ Bird Notes into Notornis, which was named following the rediscovery of the takahe in 1948. Social networks, the regional branch structure and national studies have remained the strengths of the society, but it is our brand and publications that provide our public face and legacy. Major publications by OSNZ have included four editions of the Checklist, and the 1985 and 2007 Atlases. In addition to numerous books and our quarterly journal and magazine, the society now produces digital outputs, including the society’s website, the website New Zealand Birds Online, and a Facebook page. Other recent changes have included re-branding both the society and our magazine as Birds New Zealand, and our ‘AGM and conference’ as the New Zealand Bird Conference. Trials and tribulations of field ornithology: looking at 75 years of day trips and longer expeditions to watch birds. Elizabeth (Biz) Bell Wildlife Management International Limited, PO Box 607, Blenheim 7240, [email protected] Since the founding of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand, field trips have been a major part of the focus of the Society. Fostering the study and enjoyment of birds is much easier when out in the forests, wetlands, waterways and islands of New Zealand tracking down birds and nests. Field trips have varied from daytrips to overnight or multiple nights at various locations including local parks and greenspaces, Council Reserves, Regional Parks, National Parks and Island Sanctuaries. During OSNZ field training camps, young Junior and Student members discovered the benefits of field experience when researching aspects of the biology and behaviour of birds; many of these members have taken this experience into professional ornithological careers. Field trips have been well organised and focused on gathering valuable information on a range of New Zealand species. However, this does not always mean things go to plan as discovered by members who joined the OSNZ 25th anniversary field trip to Raoul Island in 1965. This talk covers some of the adventures of OSNZ field trips over the past 75 years. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 10 Session Two: Thinking big – Birds NZ National Projects. Wandering the tidelines: wader studies and the OSNZ Phil F. Battley Ecology Group, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand, [email protected] Waders (or shorebirds) have long held the interest of birdwatchers in New Zealand. The first Annual Report of the Ornithological Society reported on special investigations into oystercatchers, Banded Dotterel, New Zealand Dotterel, Wrybill and Bar-tailed Godwit, and the pages of New Zealand Bird Notes and Notornis are full of tales of vagrancy and discovery. Formal counting started in the Auckland region in the mid-1940s, waders continued to register in the OSNZ calendar with field courses at wader-rich spots in the 1960s (Farewell Spit, Southland, Kaipara Harbour). This ongoing interest crystallised into a series of formal projects from the 1980s onwards, starting with the National Counts in 1983. Ray Pierce headed a study into the movements of Banded Dotterels from 1985–1990 and another around the same time into Pied Stilt movements. In the 2000s, the OSNZ undertook a major study of the movements of godwits and Red Knots in New Zealand. OSNZ members also established allied groups that undertake banding programmes (Pukorokoro Miranda Naturalist’s Trust, New Zealand Wader Study Group). It has been challenging for the OSNZ to undertake and maintain its major projects, but the contributions it has made are undeniable. Currently, long-term census data are being used by researchers to estimate rates of change in shorebird populations across Australasia, and banding work to estimate changes in survival rates of godwits and knots. Birds NZ/OSNZ can be rightly proud of its contributions to our knowledge about the distribution, numbers and movements of waders in New Zealand. New developments in the Beach Patrol Scheme for recording and reporting information about seabirds found dead on New Zealand coastlines Ian Armitage 50 Ranui Terrace, Tawa, Wellington 5028, [email protected] The ‘Birds New Zealand’ Beach Patrol Scheme commenced in 1951 and for more than 60 years has aimed to systematically document the identity and numbers of seabirds found dead on New Zealand beaches. Regular beach patrols by members provides a unique long-term record and the data collected has helped to establish the occurrence and to some extent the distribution of more than 110 seabird species in New Zealand coastal waters. It has also provided information leading to an improved understanding of the seasonal movements, migration and causes of seabird deaths. However, it is now recognised that the present system has distinct technical limitations which has contributed towards inadequate data analysis and reporting since 1996. The development of a new internet-based data management system has commenced that is intended to overcome existing technical shortcomings and is expected to engage a wider group of society members who can share in the beach records entry effort thereby ensuring that the database archive and data analysis is kept up-to-date. Features of a redesigned internet-based system are a new beach records archiving, analysis and reporting system that it will provide open-access to data for scientists and others thereby allowing and indeed encouraging collaboration and partnerships with interested persons. Open access will allow the broader benefits of beach patrol data to be realised and will have the advantage for ‘Birds New Zealand’ of increasing the visibility and value of this important database. The data will remain copyright to ‘Birds New Zealand’, but users would be free to use it for research, governmental and educational purposes. Development is expected to take about three years, starting in 2015. The design and testing of a new internet-accessible data entry interface for beach records and the integration of pre-2000 records commenced in March 2015 under contract to Dragonfly Science in Wellington. More than 36,000 records have now been scanned. Data entry will commence this year and will continue into 2016 and BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 11 2017 by engaging the volunteer support of interested society members, including appropriate training. In 2016 a reporting interface that will enable data summaries and trends to be assembled will be designed and tested under contract to Dragonfly Science. It is hoped that data analysis will commence by interested members and wide database use by others will be encouraged. In 2017 at least one paper on the significant trends of seabirds found dead on beaches since 2001 will be published in Notornis, together with one or more papers on long-term trends since the 1940’s for seabird species having a conservation threat ranking. Further data analysis and reporting will be encouraged and will hopefully lead to further volunteer beach patrols by society members well into the future. Mana Island Field Camp 2015 – Worth doing again??? Sharon Alderson Department of Conservation, Conservation House, PO Box 10-420, Wellington 6143, [email protected] Designed for teen birders, we ran a field camp on Mana Island during April 2015. The aim was to teach basic birding and bird study skills in a memorable setting and to foster a sense of community among the participants. Particular emphasis was placed on an introduction to mist netting and banding with participation in on-going seabird monitoring projects). We have tried to give an idea of some of the avenues open to motivated people interested in birds and to provide encouragement for them to continue building their interest. We were attempting to gauge the appeal of this kind of activity for younger people, and to see if it could draw them into a future with Birds New Zealand. We regard this camp as a pilot, and, if successful, hope to improve the model and run similar events throughout the country in the future Is the red-billed gull population in New Zealand declining or just shifting around? Peter Frost1 and Graeme Taylor2 1Science 2Science Support Service, 87 Ikitara Road, Whanganui 4500, [email protected] and Capability Group, Department of Conservation, 18-32 Manners Street, Wellington 6011, [email protected] Despite having an apparently large population, the red-billed gull Larus novaehollandiae scopulinus in New Zealand is classed as Nationally Vulnerable. This is primarily because of apparent recent and predicted ongoing declines in numbers of 50–70%, especially at the country’s largest colonies (Kaikoura, Mokohinau and Three Kings Is). Yet there is also evidence of increasing numbers at some smaller colonies, particularly in Otago. Is this increase being replicated elsewhere or is it just a regional phenomenon? What is the current status of the species across New Zealand as a whole? There has been no reliable national survey beyond a synthesis of known breeding colonies covering a period from the late-1800s to the mid-1960s. Accordingly, Birds New Zealand, in conjunction with the Department of Conservation, has initiated a two-part survey designed to fill this knowledge gap. The initial stage (2014/15) entailed checking previously reported breeding sites and locating new ones, where possible, along with obtaining order-of-magnitude estimates of colony size. The second stage (2015/16) will involve more accurate surveys of these colonies by various means, depending on their location and accessibility. This paper reports on progress with the initial, scoping phase, of the project, identifying some emerging patterns and the upcoming challenges of accurately estimating the size of reported colonies. Although reports are still being submitted, preliminary results suggest proportionately more small colonies (<10 pairs: 21% of 127 reported colonies vs 10% of 142 colonies pre-1965) and fewer larger ones (>100 pairs: 30% vs 38% pre-1965). BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 12 Session three: The glue of Birds NZ - Regional Projects. A review of current Birds New Zealand regional research activities Peter Frost1 and Ingrid Hutzler2 1Science 2Birds Support Service, 87 Ikitara Road, Whanganui 4500, [email protected] New Zealand, P.O. Box 834, Nelson 7040, [email protected] Birds New Zealand has long had a strong regional structure built around a system of regional representatives and recorders charged with, among others, encouraging, organizing and promoting the study of birds and their use of habitat. Both through their efforts and the initiatives of individual members, a wide range of research projects and related activities have been undertaken. This review summarises current (2010-2014) activities to see what kinds predominate, their scale and scope, and how the level of activity relates to regional membership. All regions contribute to one or more national projects. Beyond that, local projects (50) predominate over regional ones (21). Surveys, counts and monitoring of some kind make up about 63% of all projects (97), followed by single-species studies (including reintroductions, 9%) and population studies involving bird banding (6%). Promotional activities (6%), and education and training (3%) constitute the balance. Around 44% of studies focus on one or other type of wetland (estuaries, coastal wetlands, freshwater lakes and rivers), with forest and bush (15%), island and coastal habitats (both 14%) urban areas (9%), exotic forests and mixed habitats (both 1%) making up most of the rest. The number of activities increases linearly with membership of a region, but with considerable variation especially in the larger regions. There is no relationship with the average attendance at either branch meetings or field trips. Some ‘network effect’ is apparent below a branch size of 60, suggesting that developing working groups could enhance the level of activity in the larger regions. 50 Years of Wader Counts in the Manukau Harbour - what has been learnt? David Lawrie1, Gillian Vaughan2 and Tony Habraken3 1. President Birds NZ, 52 Mill Road, R D 2, Pukekohe, [email protected] 2. Chairperson Pokorokoro Miranda Naturalists’ Trust, 82 Redhill Road, Papakura, [email protected] 3. Census Coordinator – South Auckland, Jericho Road, R D 2, Pukekohe, [email protected] Twice yearly wader counts have been undertaken around the Manukau Harbour since 1962. This activity has required input from a large number of individuals to achieve what is reputed to be the longest continuous shorebird dataset in the world. Apart from providing valuable information that has been used for a number of reports this activity also provides a valuable training ground to upskill individuals in bird identification and methods of counting birds. We discuss in this presentation these aspects while also presenting some of the base line data. Not just another gull… Claudia Mischler Wildlife Management International Ltd, PO Box 607, Blenheim 7240, New Zealand, [email protected] The black-billed gull is the most endangered gull species in the world. It is endemic to New Zealand, and has suffered serious population declines of 78% in the last 30 years. Based on the New Zealand Threat Classification System, its status was worsened from “Threatened, Nationally Endangered” to “Nationally Critical”. Very little is known about this species, thereby making conservation difficult. This talk will explore some of the outcomes of research done in the Marlborough and Tasman regions. Chicks have been annually banded there since 2009, and this has provided an excellent sample of known-age birds to study survival and movements during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. The results have been quite surprising with lots of movements between river catchments of both breeding and non-breeding birds, and low site fidelity. Birds New Zealand members have played BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 13 a large role in helping to band chicks every summer, as well as going out to resight banded birds at all times of the year. South Kaipara Lakes (Auckland) – surveys and changes since the 1960s Mel Galbraith1, Gwen Pulham2, Judy Bendall3, Michael Taylor4 Dept of Natural Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology, Private Bag 92025, Auckland 1142, [email protected] Unit 2/1 Park Hill Rd, Birkenhead, Auckland 0626. 3 Donohue Rd, R.D.1, South Kaipara Head 0874, [email protected] 4 28 Awarua Cres, Orakei, Auckland 1071, [email protected] 1 2 The South Kaipara Lakes include natural dune barrier lakes and artificially ponded areas, predominately within the sand dune systems of the Kaipara South Peninsula. They are recognized as having regional significance for both flora and fauna. Monitoring of the bird diversity and abundance had its beginnings in the late 1960s, with the exercise subsequently adopted as a regional project. Surveys of 24 lakes are now an annual event carried out by OSNZ members assisted by the South Kaipara Landcare group. Throughout the survey period, the waterfowl populations have shown distinct fluctuations, observed to be associated with changes in water levels of the lakes. The coastal sand dunes west of the lakes were planted in pine in the early 1930s to stabilise creeping dunes, and to generate work during the Great Depression. These plantations now form Woodhill Forest. The cyclic forestry activities of planting, growth and harvest are implicated in fluctuations of water levels, and subsequently bird abundance on the lakes. Preliminary observations from a survey of shags in the Wellington Region Geoffrey W. de Lisle 244 Blue Mountains Road, RD1, Upper Hutt, New Zealand, [email protected] In 2014 the Wellington Branch of OSNZ embarked on a survey of shags in our region. The survey is being done to establish a comprehensive set of baseline data so that subsequent changes in shag populations can be determined. The emphasis of the first year of the survey is to document the location and number of active nests. Currently, little shags, black shags, pied shags and spotted shags nest in our region. Initial findings from the survey show a continuing spread of pied shag colonies as well as the ongoing occupation of very long established black shag colonies. A notable observation has been the finding of mixed species colonies. These include black, little and pied shags nesting at Zealandia, a number of colonies of pied and little shags, and little shags nesting with spotted shags. Little black shags currently do not nest in the Wellington region but are regular winter visitors. The survey is being run in conjunction with the Wairarapa region which has a number of colonies of nesting shags, including little black shags nesting at Matthews Lagoon. Caspian Tern studies in Nelson Willie Cook Birding Checklist Smartphone Application Duncan Watson Wellington, New Zealand, [email protected] In 2011 the Birding Checklist application for Android Smartphones was presented at the OSNZ conference; that was soon after the release of the NZ Birding Checklist. This application allows bird sightings to be recorded along with GPS location, and the daily sighting logs can be uploaded to eBird. In the subsequent 4 years similar applications were released for Australia, United States, UK and Europe, South Africa, South America and the Pacific Islands. These applications have now been BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 14 downloaded and used by thousands of people in many countries across the globe. The NZ checklist has been linked to NZ Birds Online. This presentation will provide an update on the successes and shortcomings of the application based on feedback from the worldwide user-base. We will discuss the widely diverse ways the application is used, along with the many requests for enhancements and the difficulty satisfying the needs of all birders. Session four: Looking ahead: the future of Birds New Zealand A Strategy for the Society: 2015-2014 Bruce McKinlay1, David Lawrie2 and Ian Armitage3 1 Vice-President Birds New Zealand, 97 Tomahawk Road, Dunedin 9013, [email protected] Birds New Zealand, [email protected] 3 Councillor, Birds New Zealand, [email protected] 2 President, To remain relevant to its members and objects the Council of the Society needs to continually evaluate the direction of the Society and how the Council as leaders of the Society are meeting the needs of the members. The Society is mature and has contributed a depth of knowledge to New Zealand which is without parallel. In the modern world how does a Society which at its core is made up of volunteers maintain its relevance and deliver services which its members value and wish to be part of? Over the last two years the Council has been grappling with these and related matters. We are now at a stage where our work is being appraised by you our members and we are seeking a sign off at this 75th AGM of the Society. Core to the Society’s values are the commitment to encouraging the study and enjoyment of birds. Council is committed to this through encouraging and assisting members to study and gain enjoyment from birds. We also hold dear the need for rigorous science in our projects and publications and a commitment to the dissemination of the knowledge that our studies have gained. The Strategy develops these themes and sets tangible targets for Council to deliver on. This presentation will develop some of the key ideas in the implementation of the Strategy for the Society. OSNZ making a difference David Melville The students and the Birds (New Zealand) - a study of a mutually beneficial relationship Stefanie Grosser Dept. of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand, [email protected] In this talk I will explore the role that students play in the Society and how they contribute to our knowledge and understanding of New Zealand birds. I will present examples of outstanding student research in the field of ornithology and how Birds New Zealand has made valuable contributions to some of these projects. Further I will introduce the plans for building a network of student representatives around the country and the first students who have enthusiastically taken on these new roles. We hope this network will facilitate an interactive student community and with it increase collaborations between universities and Birds New Zealand. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 15 Seabird translocations in New Zealand – achievements and lessons learned from the past Graeme A. Taylor1, Colin M. Miskelly2, Helen Gummer3 and Mike Bell4 Department of Conservation, PO Box 10420, Wellington 6143, New Zealand, [email protected] Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, PO Box 467, Wellington 6140, New Zealand, [email protected] 3 Wellington, New Zealand, [email protected] 4 Wildlife Management International Limited, PO Box 607, Blenheim 7240, [email protected] 1 2 Seabird translocations in New Zealand began in 1986 when Mike Imber shifted black petrel chicks from Great Barrier to Little Barrier Island to boost numbers after cat eradication. Birds New Zealand organised the first project (lead by Brian Bell) to create new seabird colonies in New Zealand by moving 334 fluttering shearwater chicks from Long to Maud Is (Marlborough Sounds) over 6 years. This transfer was successful as chicks returned to breed at the new site. The authors initiated projects on Mana and Cuvier Islands from 1997-2004 to move chicks of diving and Pycroft’s petrels and fairy prions. All were successful in getting chicks to return and breed. In the early 2000’s, chick translocation projects were organised by Department of Conservation but most are now lead by community groups. By 2015, 23 different seabird chick translocation projects involving 13 species were initiated. Birds New Zealand members have helped on these projects by finding chicks for transfer, feeding chicks, and weighing and measuring chick growth. At 7 sites, sound playback systems and/or decoys are used as the sole method for attracting seabirds. These have resulted in gannets forming two new breeding colonies. While these early successes suggest seabird colony establishment is becoming routine, there are many issues that still need to be addressed. Improvements made over time include changes to food hygiene and preparation, diet type and quality, selection criteria for chicks, customised feeding regimes, nest box design, sound attraction equipment and post-release monitoring. Important Areas for New Zealand Seabirds – engagement and the role of Birds NZ Chris Gaskin Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of NZ, Level One, 90 Ghuznee Street, Wellington 6140, [email protected] Important Bird Areas (IBAs) are sites that are recognised as internationally important for bird conservation and known to support key bird species and other biodiversity. To have such sites recognised as IBAs provides objective endorsement of their global importance. Elsewhere in the world, the general approach has been to look at all bird populations and identify IBAs on that basis. In New Zealand, where seabirds make up over half our endemic and native bird species, identifying IBAs for seabirds first and foremost recognises New Zealand’s rich and diverse seabird fauna. Adding the New Zealand component to the global IBA assessment fills a vital piece of the puzzle in our understanding of the critical sites for seabird conservation worldwide. The programme to date has been led by Forest & Bird, BirdLife International’s New Zealand partner, with Birds New Zealand (OSNZ) members, in particular seabird scientists and researchers, playing an vital role supplying data and other information about seabirds, and reviewing draft material, site profiles, species lists and site maps. The IBA network for New Zealand will only be complete when sites are identified for other groups of birds, that is, sites other than those primarily for seabirds. There are considerable challenges ahead, especially when considering those birds which will figure as trigger species for an IBA. Birds New Zealand, working with Forest & Bird are ideally placed to progress the IBA programme. Not only in completing the identification of sites, but also setting out a long-term monitoring plan for all New Zealand IBAs, working with agencies, Mana Whenua and community groups prioritising the need for conservation action, and disseminating information about them. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 16 Session Five: Members contributed papers Holocene fossils reveal extent of human-caused devastation on the Pitt Island (Chatham Islands) avifauna Alan J.D. Tennyson1 and Jamie R. Wood2 1 2 Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, PO Box 467, Wellington, New Zealand, [email protected] Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand, [email protected] Pitt Island (Rangiauria) is the second largest island in the Chatham group and was first settled by Polynesians less than 800 years ago. Here, we review the extensive mid-late Holocene avifaunal assemblages from the island. More than 11,500 bones from at least 3,252 individual birds of at least 61 species have been collected from the island revealing that the Holocene avifauna of Pitt Island was a subset of that on the larger Chatham Island, with some species notably absent, including Chatham Island duck (Anas chathamica) and Chatham Island merganser (Mergus milleneri). The avifauna was dominated by Procellariiformes, with penguins and flightless rails being common also. This seabird driven ecosystem has been almost entirely wiped out. Several large and flightless birds were extirpated from Pitt Island soon after human settlement, including a crested penguin (Eudyptes sp.), northern royal albatross (Diomedea sanfordi), Chatham Island coot (Fulica chathamensis) and Chatham Island kaka (Nestor chathamensis). High representation of penguins, waterfowl, shags and pigeons in assemblages where bones are likely derived mainly from midden deposits, shows the hunting preferences of early settlers, and suggests that hunting played a major role in bird species losses. Further extinctions followed European settlement; primarily a result of smaller species being predated by cats and pigs. Today introduced birds and post-human colonisers are as dominant in the avifauna as indigenous bird taxa. Native predators are causing the continued decline of an Eastern Rockhopper Penguin colony on Campbell Island Kyle W. Morrison1, Phil F. Battley2, David R. Thompson3 1Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, [email protected] Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, [email protected] 3National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Hataitai, Wellington 6021, [email protected] 2Ecology Identification of factors causing population declines is a critical prerequisite for conserving threatened species. The most likely cause of dramatic decreases in the three species of Rockhopper Penguins in the 20th century is oceanographic change reducing food availability. The massive decline of the ‘Nationally Critical’ Eastern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome filholi) on Campbell Island, New Zealand (94.6%, 1942–2012) has been attributed to climate change. This decline was paused in the mid-1990s by a shift to favourable conditions, but a localized decline continued at a small, fragmented population (Penguin Bay; one of five sub-colonies extinct in 2010, 3,012 pairs in 2012, down from 7,360 in 1984). Emerging concerns for endangered penguins are the effects of increased predation from native predators (Subantarctic Skuas (Catharacta antarctica) and New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) at Campbell Island). We found that penguin eggs and chicks in exposed, peripheral nests in small sub-colonies were most vulnerable to predation by skuas, so that average reproductive success was 25% lower at the smallest sub-colony than at the largest. Sea lions were estimated to depredate 6% of the adult penguin population each year, which modelling identified as the most important driver of the population’s negative growth rate (λ = 0.905, 0.095%/yr). We conclude that although occasional years of very poor food availability may exert a larger ‘bottom-up’ effect on penguin demographic rates, the ‘top-down’ effects of high avian and pinniped predation rates can be sufficient to drive the decline of small penguin populations. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 17 Research and Management priorities for New Zealand Penguins Kerry-Jayne Wilson1 and Helen Otley2 1 West Coast Penguin Trust, P.O. Box 70, Charleston, 7865, West Coast, [email protected] of Conservation, Hokitika, [email protected] 2 Department At the 2014 Oamaru Penguin Symposium we reviewed, reassessed and refined the recommendations for penguins arising from the May 2013 seabird research workshop. Prior to the Oamaru workshop we requested that people undertaking research or management on New Zealand penguins provide an outline of their current or recently completed work. These fact sheets were circulated to participants prior to the workshop and are appended to the 2014 workshop report available at http://www.bluepenguin.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/Penguin-priorities-Oamaru_final-Aug2014.pdf. Workshop participants identified the need for a regularly updated, online archive of data and reports from past projects, particularly those which remain unpublished. This applies to all species but in particular little penguins where a number of community groups and university researchers appear unaware of similar previous studies. This issue was also raised during the DOC review of the research permit system. For several species, but in particular yellow-eyed and little penguins, management has been reactive and the gulf between researchers and managers is perceived to have grown over the last 10-20 years. People working with yellow-eyed and little penguins highlighted the value of DOC recovery plans in guiding their research and the credibility these give non-DOC researchers when seeking funding and permits. The draft Fiordland crested penguin recovery plan had not previously been available outside DOC. Its limited release helped kick start two projects a few months later. In this presentation we will discuss some of the priority projects for each of New Zealand’s six breeding species, in particular those which OSNZ members could assist with. Water-birds at Waiatarua Reserve 2009 -15 Judith Nicholson, N.J. Adams and Mel Galbraith Dept. of Natural Sciences, Unitec, Private Bag 92025, Victoria St West, Auckland 1142, [email protected] Attempts in the late 1980s to restore a boggy wetland on the border of Remuera and Ellerslie in Auckland resulted in misplaced channels that directed water and about 130 tons of sediment annually into an outlet tunnel draining into the Orakei Basin. Resource consent for an improved storm-water management plan for the reserve was received in 1996 but later overturned following concerns expressed by the Orakei Bay Protection Group and Ngati Whatua. Further planning and negotiation continued until the final revision in 2002. The restoration was completed and the Auckland City Council re-opened the Waiatarua Reserve to the public in late 2004. The aims of the restoration were to provide for storm-water treatment, human recreation and a wildlife refuge. This study focusses on its role as a wildlife refuge and began in 2009. Since then throughout each year from April 2009 to April 2015 regular five minute counts of the birds present at observation points around the reserve have continued. These have provided data on water bird species and numbers. We will present results for relative numbers of all water-birds seen in the reserve over the last six years. During this period growth of vegetation around and within the wetland has altered areas of open water with some being reduced and others disappearing. The aim of this study is to gain some insight into whether the changes in the reserve over this period has impacted its role as a “refuge for water birds”. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 18 Migration and breeding season movements of Norfolk Island wedge-tailed shearwaters Richard N. Holdaway1, Margaret L. Christian2, Owen R. Evans†3, Beryl Evans3, Peter M. Davidson4, Paul M. Sagar5, David R. Thompson6, Amanda Greer7, Travis W. Horton8, Richard A. Phillips9 1Palaecol Research Ltd, P.O. Box 16 569, Hornby, Christchurch 8042, New Zealand, [email protected] Box 999, Norfolk Island, Southwest Pacific 2899 3P.O. Box 305, Norfolk Island, Southwest Pacific 2899 4Mission Road, Norfolk Island, Southwest Pacific 2899 5NIWA, Kyle Street, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand 6NIWA, 301 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai, Wellington 6021, New Zealand 7School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand. 8Department of Geological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand. 9British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK 2P.O. Wedge-tailed shearwater populations in the New Zealand subtropics were thought to largely sedentary or weakly migratory. Observations of migrating birds suggested movements to the central northern and eastern Pacific but only four of >19,500 birds banded on Norfolk Island were recovered away from the island, three on the Queensland coast and one in Fiji. Eight geolocator tags were deployed in March 2008; three of five tags retrieved (two in December 2008; one in early March 2009) contained data. All three birds migrated northeast in early May, reaching the eastern tropical Pacific in late May, at longitudes 70-80⁰ east of Norfolk Island, just north of the Equator. One bird remained c. 45⁰ east of Norfolk Island, southeast of Hawaii during June and July then flew 30⁰ east. Two birds began their return migration in mid-October, reaching Norfolk Island by late October or early November. The third moved south to about the latitude of Norfolk Island in mid-September, but was still c. 80⁰ east of Norfolk Island when its geolocator failed. Early breeding season foraging trips were within an area 15-30⁰S, between 5⁰ west and 12⁰ east of Norfolk Island. Later in the breeding season, all three birds foraged over the subtropical convergence off Fiordland. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios of feathers from two cat-killed juveniles showed values consistent with the parents having foraged over both subtropical and convergence waters. Patterns of distribution of all three birds were unrelated to either sea surface temperature or areas of highest productivity. Migratory bird flyways – priorities for New Zealand Bruce McKinlay1, David Lawrie2, Keith Woodley3, 1 NZ Representative East Asian-Australasian Flyway, Department of Conservation, Dunedin, [email protected] 2 President, Birds New Zealand (OSNZ), [email protected] 3 Manager, Miranda Shorebird Centre, Pukorokoro Miranda Naturalists Trust, [email protected] The East Asian-Australasian Flyway is complex and supports many species. It extends from Awarua Bay to North Alaska and from Bangladesh to north eastern Russia. NZ has identified work priorities in the flyway as bar-tailed godwits and red knots. These species make long, energetically expensive migration flights and use extensive intertidal areas in the Yellow Sea as stop-over sites, making that region essential to the completion of their annual cycles. The Yellow Sea is under intense pressure from development (MacKinnon, Verkuil & Murray 2012) and most populations of migratory shorebirds that use the Yellow Sea are in decline. We will discuss the balance between these international pressures and domestic needs and outline the intended programme of work multi-laterally, bilaterally and domestically to deliver for our priority species. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 19 eBird and the Birds New Zealand/ OSNZ: Seven Years On R. Paul Scofield, Vanesa L. De Pietri Canterbury Museum, Rolleston Avenue, Christchurch 8103, [email protected] Since 2008 Birds New Zealand/ OSNZ has been an active part of the international bird logging and databasing project known as eBird. eBird was designed and run by Cornell University and is considered a leading example of crowdsourcing and citizen science. It has been hailed as an example of democratizing science, treating citizens as scientists, allowing the public to access and use their own data and the collective data generated by others. New Zealand were the first country outside the Americas to become involved and The eBird database now has more than 200 million observations, and data for all 10,240 species in the world. In this talk we outline the breadth of information in eBird New Zealand, talk about ways the data has been used and suggest possible future uses. The Ohau black-fronted terns – a success story? Susan Anderson Project River Recovery, Department of Conservation, Private Bag, Twizel 7901, New Zealand, [email protected] Project River Recovery has been running a multi-year multi-faceted pest control project to protect a colony of black-fronted terns on an island in the upper Ohau River in the upper Waitaki basin. I will describe the approach that has been trialled and present results from the first 5 years of the project. Positive trends in bird numbers on the Ashley/Rakahuri River. Nick Ledgard and Bev Alexander Ashley/Rakahuri Rivercare Group Inc. Data gathered since 2000 for the major species were statistically analysed. The trend lines are positive for the six core species, with numbers of black-fronted tern, banded dotterel and pied stilt increasing significantly, while those for wrybill, black-billed gull and S. Is pied oystercatcher are not statistically significant. None of these species showed a decline in numbers. Breeding data gathered since 2004 for wrybill and black-fronted tern were statistically analysed. The trend line for chick numbers was positive for both species, but not statistically significant. The trend was the same for tern productivity, but not for wrybill, which was slightly negative. Colonies of breeding black-billed gulls have not been present frequently enough to allow such analysis of breeding trend. Trap-catch data gathered since 2004 were statistically analysed, and showed a significant downward trend. It is postulated that these encouraging trends are the result of management practices carried out by the Ashley-Rakahuri Rivercare Group since 2000. Productivity and survival in a marked population of banded dotterels Aalbert Rebergen Project River Recovery, Department of Conservation, Private Bag, Twizel 7901, [email protected] I studied the breeding biology of a population of individually marked banded dotterels on the Ahuriri River near Omarama, during four breeding seasons, by closely monitoring over 200 nests/broods. Nest success and nesting behaviour varied among years. Hatching success (percentage of nests that hatched at least one chick) varied between 41.3 and 79.2%. Fledging success (percentage of nests that produced fledged young) varied between 25.4 and 56.8%. Females would re-nest after losing eggs or young; up to five clutches in a season. Average annual female productivity during the final two seasons of the study was 1.68 and 0.93 fledged juveniles. Average annual adult survival rate over BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 20 the four year study period was at least 84.7% (for males and females combined). Double brooding, were pairs re-nest after successfully fledging chicks, was observed in every season but was variable (4-40% annually). Early brood desertion and sequential polyandry were also observed annually. Using individually marked female banded dotterels I will discuss the fortunes of birds over four seasons and explain why individual nest outcome is not a good measure of success. Building trustworthy biodiversity indicators MacLeod C.J.1, Fitzgerald G.2, Brake M.3, Wehi P.1, Gormley A.4 Landcare Research, Dunedin [email protected] Fitzgerald Applied Sociology, Christchurch 3 Reflection Graphics, Auckland 4 Landcare Research, Lincoln 1 2 To effectively track the state of New Zealand’s biodiversity, we need trusted and useful indicators. Developing such indicators is tricky for three reasons. The first challenge is understanding what matters to the diverse range of people and organisations involved, and how to engage them in the research. The second challenge is determining how to best collect and use biodiversity data. The third challenge is working out how to best report and communicate the findings to reach the target audiences. Using birds as a test case, our project aims to learn how to overcome these challenges. New Zealand King Shag (Leucocarbo carunculatus) – An update. Rob Schuckard New Zealand King Shag (King Shag) is one of the rarest seabird species in the world, endemic to the Marlborough Sounds. The average total population of King Shags is estimated to be 645 birds, with 92% of all existing birds located at four distinctive colonies; Duffers Reef, Trio Islands, Sentinel Rock, and White Rocks. The criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) for threatened species has identified King Shag with 32 other New Zealand Birds as “VULNERABLE”, where this “species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future”. The status of this bird is based on the latest 2000 criteria of IUCN: Area of occupancy estimated to be less than 2000 km2. They are known to exist at no more than 10 localities. Population estimated to number less than 1000 mature individuals. In New Zealand, the conservation status of King Shag is Nationally Endangered based on its small population of between 250-1000 individuals. Duffers Reef and Trio Islands have the highest numbers of King Shags of all colonies where Duffers Reef also has the highest recruitment of all colonies. With funding from Friends of Nelson Haven and Tasman Bay Inc., members from the Ornithological Society of New Zealand have, been able to fund further research into the prey selected by this species. For the first time ever, all colonies have been visited to collect shag regurgitations. New Zealand King Salmon has expanded its operations in the Marlborough Sounds with three new farms. As a part of the conditions, they are required to provide a King Shag Management Plan. An aerial survey was used for the first time to establish a baseline of the number of shags prior to the establishment of the new farms. The total number is more than previous boat-based surveys. The survey was a synchronized count of all colonies within 40 minutes. However, the survey also reflects an increase in numbers due to some colonies never been counted before. Also, some changes in numbers cannot be excluded. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 21 Corticosterone responses and personality in birds: individual variation and the ability to cope with environmental change John F. Cockrem Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, [email protected] Birds secrete the hormone corticosterone in response to threatening or potentially threatening stimuli from the environment, and corticosterone helps birds adjust to or cope with the stimulus. There is considerable variation between birds in their responses to the same stimulus, and some birds have little or no response to a stimulus that evokes a large response in other birds. These differences between birds in hormone responses reflect differences in the sensitivity of birds to changes in their environment. Individual birds also have characteristic patterns of behaviour, and the size of a bird's corticosterone response is linked with the type of behavioural response it has to environmental stimuli. Birds with relatively low corticosterone responses and active behavioural responses are said to have proactive personalities, and birds with relatively high corticosterone responses and passive behavioural responses are said to have reactive personalities. Examples of proactive and reactive birds will be presented, and characteristics of these birds in relation to their abilities to cope with environmental changes will be discussed. It is proposed that birds with low corticosterone responses and proactive personalities are likely to be more successful (have greater fitness) in constant or predictable conditions, whilst birds with reactive personalities and high corticosterone responses will be more successful in changing or unpredictable conditions. Studies of corticosterone responses and personality will be useful for understanding relationships between individual characteristics and success in birds, and for predicting how birds might cope with changing environmental conditions associated with climate change. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 22 POSTER PAPER ABSTRACTS Dispersal pattern of recently translocated compared to established male kiwi at Mataia Restoration Project, Kaipara New Zealand Julie Alach1 (graduate student), Nigel Adams1, 2 Glenn Aguilar1, 3 Mel Galbraith1, 4 Diane Fraser1, 5 1Department of Natural Sciences, Unitec New Zealand, Private Bag 92025, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. [email protected] , [email protected] 2, [email protected] 1,3, [email protected] 1,4 [email protected] 1,5 In New Zealand, all five species of kiwi (Apteryx spp.) have been in decline since European settlement with the current rate being between 2 – 5% per year. Translocation for the re-establishment of viable populations in their former range has become a valuable conservation tool. Mataia Restoration project, Kaipara, aims to establish a founder population of 40 individuals with the aim of later dispersal into the greater Southern Kaipara Region. Post-release monitoring of species is important to determine dispersal and success of translocation. Dispersal patterns of five established male kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) released in 2013 and eight recently translocated male kiwi of the same species were determined at Mataia, in April and May of 2014. Radio-telemetry was used to monitor all kiwi three times a week for the first three weeks post-release. Multiple bearings were used to calculate the estimated location of each bird and this was then mapped using Arc GIS 10.2 and a Minimum Convex Polygon method was used to determine the area of landscape utilized by all birds after the release event. The newly introduced males utilized significantly more of the landscape than the established males. Ranges of new males overlapped with each other but not with males released in 2013. With the exception of one individual, newly released male kiwi stayed in close proximity to their release site. The results suggest that newly translocated male kiwi will actively seek out habitat unoccupied by other established males possibly to reduce intraspecific competition. Seasonal and annual variation in foraging of little penguins Philippa Agnew 1, Chris Lalas 2, Janine Wright3 and Steve Dawson2 1 Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony, Oamaru, New Zealand. [email protected] Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. [email protected], [email protected] 3 Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. [email protected] 2 Seabirds must alter their foraging strategies throughout the year in order to cope with variation in prey availability and the demands of breeding. We sampled foraging locations and diving behaviour of breeding little penguins (Eudyptula minor) at Oamaru, New Zealand, using Global Positioning System and time-depth recording devices. We attached the devices during pre-egg, incubation and chick-rearing stages over three breeding seasons (2010, 2011, and 2012). We aimed to determine how little penguins adjust their foraging in response to different stages of breeding and to determine if variation in foraging relates to reproductive performance. Foraging variables were related to the duration since the start of the breeding season rather than the stage: distance travelled increased, and dive depth decreased, as the season progressed. In all seasons there was no difference in the distance travelled per day and the total diving duration during incubation compared to chick-rearing. Among seasons, differences were found in the diving activity during the rearing of second broods (of double-brooding pairs). An increase in the total diving duration per day paralleled a reduction in breeding success during 2010. The reduction in breeding success was attributable to the occurrence of a storm event during the 2010-11 austral summer, however during the same period the total diving duration was already high. We conclude that extrinsic factors were more important than stage-related demands of breeding in influencing little penguin foraging strategies at Oamaru. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 23 Birds New Zealand Annual General Meeting Details Saturday 30 May 2015 (1600-1800) Marlborough Convention Centre 1. Apologies 2. Recent deaths: Bill Watters (July 2014), Bill Lock (September 2014), Graham Turbott (December 2014) and Udo Benecke (April 2015) 3. Previous Minutes 4. Matters Arising 5. Treasurers report (limited hard copies will be available from Council for those without access to internet access to view and print this themselves) 6. President's report (limited hard copies will be available from Council for those without access to internet access to view and print this themselves) 7. Election of Officers David Lawrie has been nominated for another three year term as President and similarly Bruce McKinlay as Vice-President, Paul Garner-Richards as Treasurer and Ian Armitage as Council member. No election is necessary and these four will be appointed to Council for a three-year term. 8. Motions for the Annual General Meeting a. 9. That the Society endorse the Birds New Zealand Strategic Plan 2014-2025 (proposed by Bruce McKinlay and seconded by Mel Galbraith) Book Launch a. The new Field Guide of New Zealand Birds is published and available in bookstores nationwide. 10. Awards 11. General business a. A Strategy for Birds New Zealand 2015-2024 (limited hard copies will be available from Council for those without access to internet access to view and print this themselves) b. Memorandum of Understanding between OSNZ and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society (limited hard copies will be available from Council for those without access to internet access to view and print this themselves) BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 24 A STRATEGY FOR BIRDS NEW ZEALAND – 2015-2024 In 2015 the Ornithological Society of New Zealand, now popularly known as Birds New Zealand, will celebrate its 75th anniversary. It is fitting therefore to help celebrate this moment in our history by setting out a revised strategy for the 2015 to 2024 period that will advance our Purpose, Aim and Objectives and for achieving improved public understanding and wider acceptance of the Society in the community. This Strategy builds on a Strategic Plan adopted in 2005 and it provides a focus for the next 10 years that is appropriate to current circumstances. 1. Statement of Purpose: Encouraging the study and enjoyment of birds. 2. Vision: The Society will be recognised as the leading authority on birds in New Zealand. By 2024 the Society will have increased membership to 1,500, comprising a mix of professional, student, family, corporate and institutional members who share a common interest in the study and enjoyment of birds. The Society will continue to run long and short term sciencebased projects and training activities having both regional and national objectives that allow wide member participation as best suits their interests and circumstances and all contributing to greater ornithological knowledge and equally importantly to the enjoyment of birds and birding activities. Results of studies will continue to be published periodically, particularly in the Society’s journal Notornis, complemented by regular communication amongst members on general bird watching activities. The Society will have investigated the benefits of and if appropriate will have become a Constituent Organisation of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 3. Values: 4. Encouraging and assisting an enthusiastic amateur and professional membership that supports the study and enjoyment of birds. Applying rigorous scientific principles to all Birds New Zealand studies and projects. Safeguarding the welfare of birds in all Society activities. Demonstrating impartiality in the selection of studies and in the dissemination of information about birds. Aim and Objectives: a. Aim: To create a nation-wide study group comprising individual members or groups cooperating on different aspects of ornithology as suits their interests or circumstances and all contributing to greater ornithological knowledge and to the enjoyment of birds. b. Objectives: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Encourage, organise and promote the study of birds and their habitat use particularly within the New Zealand region. Foster and support the wider knowledge and enjoyment of birds generally. Promote the recording and wide circulation of the results of bird studies and observations. Produce a journal and any other publication containing matters of ornithological interest. Effect co-operation and exchange of information with other organisations having similar aims and objects. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 25 6. 7. 8. 9. 5. Prominent strengths of the Society: 6. Assist the conservation and management of birds by providing information from which sound management decisions can be derived. Maintain a library of ornithological literature for the use of members and to promote a wider knowledge of birds. Promote the archiving of observations, studies and records of birds particularly in the New Zealand region. Carry out any other activity which is capable of being conveniently carried out in connection with the above objects, or which directly or indirectly advances those objects or any of them. An independent, trusted, science-based organisation having a reputation for impartiality and having amongst its members a diverse and comprehensive range of knowledge and experience in ornithology. Rigorous scientific standards are applied to all Society schemes and projects. The society has a nation-wide network of skilled, knowledgeable and experienced volunteer observers. The Society is recognized and trusted by the wider community for reliable identification of birds and as an authoritative source of knowledge about birds and their habitats in New Zealand and the South Pacific region. The Society promotes both a scientific and general interest in birds and their habitats. The Society has a well-established record of useful studies on various aspects of ornithology. The Society has a range of well-established and respected ‘tools’ that support members for achieving its objectives, namely, NZ Birds Online, NZ eBird, ‘Notornis’, ‘Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand’, ‘Atlas of Bird Distribution in New Zealand’ and it endorses the ‘Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand’. The Society has its own financial resources and enjoys financial independence. Major Goals: Increase awareness of the Purpose, Aim and Objectives of the Society through inspiring a scientific and a general interest in birds and their habitats. The Society will be recognised by the scientific community as the premier independent knowledge-base on ornithology in New Zealand and the South Pacific, in particular, for the reliable identification of birds. Increase membership of the Society to not less than 1,500 by December 2024, with a focus on gaining younger members both professional and amateur. Review all Society projects and schemes and introduce new programmes on topics of national and regional importance that will engage the interest and participation of members, especially where the conservation significance of bird species and their habitats are poorly known. Review and revise Memorandums of Understanding and enter into new alliances with relevant organisations where these will advance the Purpose, Aim and Objectives of the Society. Investigate the benefits of and if appropriate apply to become a Constituent Organisation of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Continue to employ an Executive Officer and other staff when appropriate. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 26 7. Strategic Activities – 2015 to 2024: a. Increase awareness of the Purpose, Aim and Objectives of the Society: Publish a succinct article in the Society’s magazine (Birds New Zealand, formerly ‘Southern Bird’) outlining this revised Strategy, including the recent adoption of the popular name of Birds New Zealand and a revised logo. This article should be the basis of a Press Release to be circulated to the news media and also placed on the Society’s website and Facebook Page. Request interviews with editors/sub-editors on the major daily papers to explain the changes. Continue to promote the use of a revised Society logo in Birds New Zealand, on the Society’s website, on letterheads, business cards and other documents based on the easily recognisable ‘Notornis’ image. Utilise an active media strategy, especially the use of digital media, to increase community awareness of the Society, the Society’s Purpose, Aim and Objectives and to promote the exchange of information about birds, including, • active use of the Society’s website, the Society’s popular journal (now renamed as Birds New Zealand) and the Facebook page, • further development of the functionality of the Society’s website for the benefit of members, including a link to a blog where members can contribute stories, articles, notes or photographs. • regular use of the print media, national and regional newspapers, magazines, radio and TV, to promote broader community knowledge of birds and ornithology, • encouraging greater interest and appeal of the Society and encourage membership amongst school and university students and other young people through the circulation of an e-newsletter, publication of student profiles, strengthened university liaison, encouragement of student discussion groups at annual conferences and the documentation and publication of ornithological research undertaken in universities, and b. • Continue to encourage the preparation and wide distribution of regional newsletters. Advise the Society’s primary collaborators including the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, the Department of Conservation, museums, universities and like-minded societies of this revised Strategy aimed at achieving the Society’s Aim and Objectives. Encourage recognition of the Society by the scientific community as the premier independent knowledge-base on ornithology: Continue to publish original papers and short notes in Notornis by professional and amateur members on all aspects of field or laboratory studies on ornithology, reviews of ornithological literature, student research and reports of specialist ornithological events. The Society’s scientific journal, Notornis, will not change in name, content or editorial style. Continue to apply high standards of scientific rigour, objectivity and independence in editorial matters. Council will investigate and report to the membership not later than the AGM in 2016 of the benefits of the Society becoming a Constituent Organisation of the Royal Society of New Zealand as a means of reinforcing our scientific links with science in New Zealand and to increase our profile in the New Zealand science community. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 27 Maintain and if appropriate enhance the role and scope of the Scientific Committee of the Society, including mentoring of non-professional members in conducting studies. Promote purposeful engagement with other organisations including Government policy- makers in order to help achieve the Society’s ambition of gaining wide acceptance as the premier knowledge-base on ornithology and more generally about birds in New Zealand. Review all Society projects and schemes with a view towards redefining objectives, field observation, data collection and data analysis procedures, and reporting. Not later than December 2020 publish a scholarly scientific paper in Notornis of the knowledge gained and lessons learned from each scheme, and also publish a popular article in Birds New Zealand. Encourage and facilitate members, both professional and amateur, and students at schools and universities to contribute towards current or proposed regional and national studies on birds and their habitats and the publication of results in Notornis. Encourage research on ‘niche’ topics in ornithology that are not being studied by others. c. Promote a general interest and knowledge in birds and their habitats: Increase membership of the Society to not less than 1,500 by December 2024, with a focus on gaining younger members, both professional and amateur. Establish a Membership Committee to consider ways and means of increasing the Society’s membership, to develop a ‘Welcome Pack’ for issue to new members, to prepare appropriate material to be loaned to regions and to arrange for experienced members to travel to and assist with or manage specific events in regions that have limited ability to do this. Design and promote a range of field activities specifically for younger members that will provide memorable ‘hands-on’ practical experience and information about ornithology and birdwatching. Design and introduce new programmes on topics of national and regional importance that will engage the interest and participation of a wide cross-section of members, especially where the conservation significance of bird species and their habitats in New Zealand are poorly known. Continue to encourage members to contribute written articles, photographs or art for publication in Birds New Zealand that are of popular interest and will help expand the knowledge and enjoyment of birds in the community. Encourage members to make greater use of the various tools that are available for studies and the enjoyment of birds and their habitats, especially ‘NZ eBird’ and ‘NZ Birds On-line’, and to train members in their use. Arrange interesting and vibrant annual conferences comprising a mix of scientific and general interests which will be known as the New Zealand Bird Conference. Promote New Zealand Bird Conferences to the news media. [Note: Council will assume responsibility for arranging the core aspects of annual conferences, including registration and the scientific and workshop programmes, in order to relieve smaller regions of the burden of making all conference arrangements. Invite representatives of like-minded organisations to participate and also invite and meet the attendance costs of up to five local secondary school students (year 12 and 13)]. Council will investigate the financial feasibility of supporting two or more student members of the Society to attend the annual Birds New Zealand conference, and to BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 28 attend international ornithology conferences. Continue to maintain a national library of published literature concerning ornithology and through the archiving of field and other records submitted by members and records acquired from other sources. Regularly circulate details of the library to members and encourage user interest in the library. d. Relevance to conservation of birds and their habitats: In order to make Birds New Zealand more relevant to the wider community encourage members to assemble submissions to national or local governments in New Zealand or to international agencies on issues concerning the protection and conservation of birds and their habitats, or to promote the increased awareness of birds by the wider community utilising science-based information collected by Society members. [Note: Arrangements for making submissions should follow existing Manual procedures]. Develop meaningful cooperative relationships with the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, the Department of Conservation and other organisations where appropriate. Review and as appropriate revise Memorandum of Understanding agreements with these organisations, or enter into new agreements if this approach will help achieve the Society’s Aim and Objectives. Encourage regular collaboration between the regions of the Society and local branches of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand and other like-minded societies, through joint meetings, joint field trips and training activities in order to make birding activities more enjoyable and to increase dissemination of knowledge about birds. e. Financial resources, independence and administration: Continue to secure adequate financial resources in order that the Society can maintain its financial independence. Council will review the publication of Notornis as a digital/online journal only (‘no paper’ version) not later than the AGM 2016. Any cost savings will be applied to revised subscription rates for the benefit of all members. [Note: One approach is for the Notornis index to be published in the magazine Birds New Zealand and for Regional Representatives or the Executive Officer to print and post copies of specific papers upon request if a member does not their own have printing facilities]. Actively encourage contracts or other formal arrangements that are self-funding and can involve members for the sale of technical information about birds to national or local authorities, companies, consultants or other enquirers. [Note: Arrangements for the sale of information, including pricing, should follow existing Manual procedures]. Encourage regular commercial advertising in Birds New Zealand as a means of expanding communication about the Society in the wider community and for raising revenue. Continue to welcome donations and bequests to the Society to facilitate the implementation of national or specific regional or individual projects, including research. Continue to employ an executive officer to service the interests of Council, its specialist officers and committees and Regional Representatives to achieve smooth and effective administration of the Society’s affairs. Consider the employment of BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 29 f. other staff where this will help achieve the Society’s Aim and Objectives. Amendments to this Strategy: This Strategy may from time to time be reviewed and, if necessary, amended at an Annual General Meeting of the Society on the recommendation of Council. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 30 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (DRAFT) Memorandum of Understanding Between The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc. And The Ornithological Society of New Zealand Inc. Background: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc. (RFBPS) and The Ornithological Society of New Zealand Inc. (OSNZ) (hereafter referred to as “the Societies”) was agreed to on 22nd June 2002. The Societies have common constitutional interests concerning New Zealand’s birds. The RFBPS has capacity to promote the preservation and protection of the indigenous flora and fauna and the natural features of New Zealand, whereas OSNZ has detailed ornithological knowledge and capacity to promote the study of birds and habitats within New Zealand and to support the wider knowledge and enjoyment of birds. The objectives of the Societies could be enhanced through maintaining a close working relationship, particularly in the exchange of information and for purposes that are complementary to the interests of both Societies. From discussions between representatives in 2014 it has been agreed that both Societies wish to continue to develop and maintain a close working relationship, in particular for fostering and supporting the wider knowledge and enjoyment of birds and habitats in the New Zealand region and their conservation. Common Constitutional Obligations: The Societies have the following common constitutional obligations: OSNZ: 1. Encourage, organise and promote the study of birds and their habitat use within the New Zealand region and to encourage the wider knowledge and enjoyment of birds. 2. Promote the recording and circulation of the results of bird studies and to produce a journal and other publications containing matters of ornithological interest. 3. Promote co-operation and exchange of information with other organisations having similar aims and objects. 4. Assist the conservation and management of birds by providing information from which sound management decisions can be derived. RFBPS: 1. To take all reasonable steps to achieve the preservation and protection of the indigenous flora and fauna and the natural features of New Zealand. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 31 Collaboration for the Provision and Use of Information: The objectives of the Societies could be better achieved through collaboration and maintaining a close working relationship generally and the provision and use of information specifically that is complementary to the interests of both Societies. This MoU covers the sharing and use of information between the Societies. It is agreed between the Societies that: 1. OSNZ undertakes to provide technical information, including images, charts and tables, to RFBPS upon request and without charge where this information will contribute towards making sound decisions for the conservation and management of birds. The intellectual property in information provided to RFBPS shall remain with OSNZ and with the members who collected it. 2. RFBPS undertakes to use technical information provided by OSNZ only for purposes agreed by the Societies and shall acknowledge OSNZ for information so provided. RFBPS may publish information provided by OSNZ when the owners of that information agree with its publication. 3. RFBPS shall provide information without charge to OSNZ about birds and their habitats that encourages the wider knowledge and enjoyment of birds and will promote co-operation between the Societies. 4. The Societies may collaborate on activities that are of mutual interest and where information sharing and technical cooperation will allow the comparative strengths of both societies to be applied. 5. The Societies undertake to meet at regular intervals (regionally and nationally) and to collaborate on surveys to collect, analyse and report technical information for purposes that will encourage the wider knowledge, conservation, management and enjoyment of birds. Review of this Memorandum of Understanding: The Societies agree that this MoU should be reviewed at not more than five-yearly intervals. Signed at _____________________________________ on _____________________________ 2015. President __________________________ Chief Executive ____________________ The Ornithological Society of New Zealand Inc. The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc. BIRDS NEW ZEALAND SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE & 75TH AGM ● PROGRAMME 32
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