Updates on Threatened NZ Birds

zooboy28

zooboy28

Well-Known Member
The Department of Conservation has released a report on the conservation status of all 473 recorded bird taxa known in NZ since first human contact, comparing their 2012 threat status with their 2008 status.

Story here: South Island duck extinct - science | Stuff.co.nz

The full report is available here: http://doc.govt.nz/Documents/science-and-technical/nztcs4entire.pdf

Abstract:
The first complete audit of the conservation status of the 473 taxa of birds that have been recorded in New Zealand since first human contact (about 1000 years ago) was carried out. Using the same ranking criteria, the assessments made in the audit were compared with those made in 2008 for the 428 taxa recorded post-1800. A total of 20 taxa moved to a more threatened status, while the status of 12 taxa improved, mainly as a result of successful conservation management. Overall, 77 species were assessed as being threatened with extinction, the same as in 2008; however, 25 rather than 24 taxa were now classified as being Nationally Critical. A list of all 473 bird taxa and their conservation status in 2012 is presented.
Click to expand...

The main changes were:

Five taxa have been removed from the Nationally Critical category: the South Island brown teal was moved to Data Deficient because it is probably extinct. However, the status of Bounty Island shag Leucocarbo ranfurlyi and orange-fronted parakeet Cyanoramphus malherbi has improved and they were moved to Nationally Endangered, and grey-headed mollymawk Thalassarche chrysostoma and Chatham Island pigeon / parea Hemiphaga chathamensis moved to Nationally Vulnerable due to their better prognoses. The status of orange-fronted parakeet and Chatham Island pigeon / parea has improved as a direct result of successful conservation management programmes.

Other notable positive changes driven mainly by successful conservation management were the shift from Threatened categories to the At Risk—Recovering category for eastern falcon Falco novaeseelandiae “eastern”, Stewart Island robin Petroica australis rakiura and North Island kokako Callaeas wilsoni; and the movement of North Island little shearwater Puffinus assimilis haurakiensis from Relict to this recovering category.

However, these gains were tempered by the addition of five taxa in Threatened categories for the first time: Antipodean albatross, flesh-footed shearwater Puffinus carneipes, New Zealand storm petrel, lesser knot, and kea Nestor notabilis.
Click to expand...

A number of other species (mostly marine or coastal species) also moved into more threatened categories.
 
the South Island brown teal probably isn't entirely extinct, but surely is functionally extinct. If there are any left they are in tiny numbers. Their last stronghold was in Fiordland, which is notoriously difficult to find birds in. Releases of brown teal in various parts of the South Island have all been of North Island birds. Interestingly enough the South Island birds were visually distinct from North Island birds (in terms of colour), and genetically also quite distinct. The North Island and Chatham Island brown teal form a natural genetic grouping quite separate from the South Island birds, so it isn't just a local population gone, it is an entire taxon. Also interesting is that many genetic studies of South Island birds show heavy contamination with mallard genes :(
 
Has anybody ever tried to build up a captive population of the South Island brown teal because I'm sure captive breeding could have saved this species !
By the way : thank you zooboy28 for this most intresting report !
 
South Island birds were captured in the 90s and kept in captivity for a while, but DoC in its infinite wisdom then just released them all again because they decided (on limited data apparently) that they were hybrids. At that time there was no real understanding that they were so distinct from North Island birds. They were just considered the same birds from a different part of the country. Missed opportunity though, obviously.
 
a new assessment (2016) of the conservation status of NZ's birds has been released: http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/science-and-technical/nztcs19entire.pdf

Five taxa have been downlisted from Nationally Critical to Nationally Vulnerable, but three have gone in the opposite direction. Fourteen taxa have moved from Threatened categories to At Risk categories, but six taxa were moved to Threatened. In sum, 34 taxa "were better off" and 17 "were worse off".
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top