Dabchick capture and marking

[Thalia]

Hi there,
I am brand new to the forum, so by way of introduction my name is Thalia and I relatively recently started working for DOC in the Rotorua Lakes office as a biodiversity ranger.  Our office is trying to get a  programme going for dabchicks so that we can gather information on threats to the species and what we can do to protect them.  So far I have been unsuccessful in locating through the literature a way to capture and mark them for study, so I am seeking some help in regards to this.  Does anyone know of someone who is currently working on or has studied either dabchicks or other NZ grebes who could give me information on methods?  Preferably catching and marking, but observational techniques/methodology would be helpful too.
Thanks!
-Thalia.

[Dave Houston]

Hi there Thalia and welcome aboard!  Dabchicks are outside my experience, but why don't you contact Graeme Taylor in the DOC Banding Office to see if anyone has been banding these or their kin in the recent past - might give you a few leads.