KERERU NEWS No. 68 (8 December 2008)

[Bruce McKinlay]

KERERU NEWS No. 68

An email newsletter of views and information about and observations of kereru / kuku / kukupa / kokopa / New Zealand pigeon / parea / Chatham Islands pigeon

1. Causes of death of kereru – Maurice Alley

Results of 140 kereru necropsies at the New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre, Massey University, Palmerston North over the last 15 years.

	%
Trauma to thorax	20
Trauma to head and neck (including crop)	13
Trauma to abdomen	9
Trauma to wings (often euthanized)	7
Trauma to legs (often euthanized)	2
Gunshot	2
Aspergillosis	15
Bacterial infection	5
Enteritis of unknown cause	2
Hepatopathy of unknown cause	2
Avipox	2
Starvation	6
Miscellaneous	7
Undiagnosed	7

Definitions of terms:

• Trauma - serious physical injury, such as broken bones and severe bruising of soft tissues. In the case of kereru such injury is usually the result of window or vehicle collision. Note that 51% of the 140 birds died as a result of trauma injuries.
• Aspergillosis - a fungal infection most commonly in the lungs and air sacs.
• Enteritis - inflammation of small intestine which could have a bacterial, viral, parasitic or toxic cause.
• Hepatopathy - liver disease.

2. A paper that may be of interest

Whelan, C.J.; Wenny, D.G.; Marquis, R.J. 2008. Ecosystem services provided by birds. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1134: 25-60.

Some of the abstract: Ecosystem services are natural processes that benefit people. Birds contribute the four types of services recognised by the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment - provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services. In this review we concentrate primarily on supporting services, and to a lesser extent, provisioning and regulating services. As members of ecosystems birds play many roles, including as predators, pollinators, scavengers, seed dispersers, and ecosystem engineers. These ecosystem services fall into two subcategories: those that arise via behaviour (like consumption of agricultural pests) and those that arise via bird products (like nests and guano). Characteristics of most birds make them quite special from the perspective of ecosystem services. Because most birds fly they can respond to irruptive or pulsed resources in ways generally not possible for other vertebrates. Migratory species link ecosystem processes and fluxes that are separated by great distances and times. Although the economic value to people contributed by most, if not all, of the supporting services has yet to be quantified, we believe they are important to people.

3. Kaitoke Regional Park kereru population has increased yet again, and dramatically – Owen Spearpoint

These annual counts each September involve walking slowly along a transect and counting the kereru evident within a fixed area of approx. 500 square metres about the ranger’s residence. The kereru gather in this area each spring to feed on the emerging leaves of tree lucerne, broom, ribbonwood, poplars, willows, and kowhai. Possum control was carried out in the catchment area in 2002, 2003 and 2007, and further afield in 2005.
 

	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Mean	29.2	54.6	57.5	77.8	84.2	142.2
Counts	5	5	4	5	5	5
Range	14-36	44-73	29-77	72-82	51-109	102-168

4. Kereru – continuation of where various topics of information about kereru are available, and where the gaps in our knowledge about kereru are (full listing available to DOC staff at docdm-117328) – Ralph Powlesland

Monitoring populations: methods of population estimates

• Daglish, L. 2008. City pigeons: kereru (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) in the urban Dunedin environment, abundance, habitat selection and rehabilitation outcomes. Unpubl. MSc thesis, University of Otago, Dunedin. (Distance sampling)
• Greene, T. 2003. Distance sampling populations of New Zealand birds – estimating kaka and kereru abundance. DOC Science Poster no. 64, Department of Conservation, Wellington. (Distance sampling)
• Mander, C., Hay, R. and Powlesland, R. 1998. Monitoring and management of kereru (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae). Department of Conservation Technical Series No. 15. Department of Conservation, Wellington. (5MBCs with distance estimates, display flight counts, censuses, walking or driving transects)
• Harwood, H. 2002. Seasonal availability and abundance of tree fruit species utilised by urban kukupa. Unpubl. MSc thesis. School of Environmental & Marine Sciences, Auckland University, Auckland. (5MBCs)
• Jones, G. 2000 Five-minute bird count surveys. Pp. 66-72 in: Beaven, B.; Burns, B.; Harrison, A.; Shaw, P. (Eds), Northern Te Urewera ecosystem restoration project annual report, July 1998 – June 1999. Hawkes Bay Conservancy, Department of Conservation, Gisborne. (5MBCs)
• Pearson, P.E., and Climo, G.C. 1991. Chatham Island pigeon: census counts and habitat use, October-November 1990. Science and Research Internal Report No. 106. Department of Conservation, Wellington. (Censuses)
• Pierce, R.J.; Atkinson, R.; Smith, E. 1993. Changes in bird numbers in six Northland forests 1979-1993.  Notornis 40: 285-293. (5MBCs)
• Stevens, H. 2006. Native birds in forest remnants. Unpubl. PhD thesis, University of Auckland, Auckland. (5MBCs)
• Taylor, J.R. 1996. The impact of human settlement on the kukupa (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae). Unpubl. MSc thesis. University of Auckland, Auckland. (5MBCs)
• Lake Rotoroa, Nelson Lakes National Park. Kereru News No. 50. (transect counts)
• Parapara Road, Wanganui. Kereru News No. 2, 23, 34 & 40. (transect counts)
• Rai to Pelorus Bridge, Nelson. Kereru News No. 31. (transect counts)
• Kaitoke Regional Park, Wellington. Kereru News No. 46, 51, 57, 61 & 68. (transect counts)

Monitoring populations: determining start and end of breeding season

• James, R.E. 1995. Breeding ecology of the New Zealand pigeon at Wenderholm Regional Park. Unpubl. MSc thesis. University of Auckland, Auckland. (display flight counts)
• Mander, C., Hay, R. and Powlesland, R. 1998. Monitoring and management of kereru (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae). Department of Conservation Technical Series No. 15. Department of Conservation, Wellington. (display flight counts)
• Taylor, J.R. 1996. The impact of human settlement on the kukupa (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae). Unpubl. MSc thesis. University of Auckland, Auckland. (display flight counts)

Management requirements: level of predator control

• Clout, M.N., Denyer, K., James, R.E. and McFadden, I.G. 1995.  Breeding success of New Zealand pigeons (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) in relation to control of introduced mammals. NZ J. Ecol. 19: 209-212.
• Innes, J.; Nugent, G.; Prime, K.; Spurr, E.B. 2004. Responses of kukupa (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) and other birds to mammal pest control at Motatau, Northland. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 28: 73-81.

Management requirements: translocation/release methods

• Powlesland, R.G. and Willans, M. 1997. “Hard release” of captive-reared New Zealand pigeons (Hemiphaga n. novaeseelandiae). Notornis 44: 57-59.
  

Responses to management: pest control/eradication

• Coad, N.J. 2001. Trounson Kauri Park annual report 1999-2000. Unpubl. report, Northland Conservancy, Department of Conservation, Whangarei. (rat, mustelid & cat control)
• Clout, M.N., Denyer, K., James, R.E. and McFadden, I.G. 1995.  Breeding success of New Zealand pigeons (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) in relation to control of introduced mammals. NZ J. Ecol. 19: 209-212. (rat control)
• Empson, R.A., Miskelly, C.M. 1999. The risks, costs and benefits of using brodifacoum to eradicate rats from Kapiti Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 23: 241-254. (rat eradication)
• Grant, A.D., Powlesland, R.G., Dilks, P.J., Flux, I.A. and Tisdall, C.J. 1997. Mortality, distribution, numbers and conservation of the Chatham Island pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae chathamensis). Notornis 44: 65-77. (possum and feral cat control)
• Innes, J.; Nugent, G.; Prime, K.; Spurr, E.B. 2004. Responses of kukupa (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) and other birds to mammal pest control at Motatau, Northland. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 28: 73-81. (rat and possum control)
• James, R.E. and Clout, M.N. 1996. Nesting success of New Zealand pigeons (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) in response to a rat (Rattus rattus) poisoning programme at Wenderholm Regional Park. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 20: 45-51. (rat control)
• Jones, G. 2000 Five-minute bird count surveys. Pp. 66-72 in: Beaven, B.; Burns, B.; Harrison, A.; Shaw, P. (Eds), Northern Te Urewera ecosystem restoration project annual report, July 1998 – June 1999. Hawkes Bay Conservancy, Department of Conservation, Gisborne. (rat and mustelid control)
• Powlesland, R.G.; Wills, D.E.; August, A.C.L.; August, C.K. 2003. Effects of a 1080 operation on kaka and kereru survival and nesting success, Whirinaki Forest Park. NZ J of Ecology 27: 125-137. (aerial 1080 operation)
• Stephenson, G. 1994. Kereru protection: control of predators and the benefits. New Zealand Tree Grower 15: 24-25. (rat and possum control)
• Kaitoke Regional Park, Wellington. Kereru News No. 46, 51, 57, 61 & 68.

Responses to management: weed food species removal

• Possible impact of removal of willows on kereru numbers at Lake Rotoroa, Nelson Lakes National Park. Kereru News No. 50.
  

Responses to management: planting of food species

• Anecdotal observations of kereru feeding on planted native and exotic plants

                                               

Responses to management: provision of water sources

• Anecdotal observations of kereru drinking from bird baths in urban and rural gardens
  Kereru bathing in the spray from a garden sprinkler. Kereru News No. 58.