Birds New Zealand magazine - March 2024

[Michael Szabo]

The March 2024 Birds New Zealand magazine is now online with a cover photo featuring a New Zealand Fairy Tern Tara Iti taken by Darren Markin.

This edition contains news of Tara Iti breeding success and the results of bird research projects funded by the Birds New Zealand Research Fund, including satellite tracking Red Knots, GPS tracking of Kororā Little Penguins, an assessment of monitoring kiwi with remote cameras, and a Tara White-fronted Tern diet and population survey and photo competition.

It also reports on a partnership between Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, the Department of Conservation, Birds New Zealand, Pūkorokoro Miranda Naturalists’ Trust and Otago Regional Council to better understand the population dynamics and movements of Tōrea South Island Pied Oystercatcher, and the successful recent Makarora Field Camp organised by Aspiring Biodiversity Trust with Birds New Zealand.

Illustrated feature articles include 'Cruising Sub-Antarctica' by True Young Explorer scholarship recipient Bradley Shields about a cruise to the Subantarctic Islands with Heritage Expeditions; reports from the 2023 Australasian Ornithological Conference held in Brisbane by Birds New Zealand Vice President Natalie Forsdick and three recipients of Birds New Zealand’s 2023 Student Travel Grants (Katie Gray, Kamaya Patel, Katie Vanderstok); and 'In Search of Kororā' by Hiltrun Ratz of the New Zealand Penguin Initiative, which is providing support and expertise for groups working on Kororā, and bringing together information about the Kororā population into a centralised database.

It also reports on the appointment of Dr James Savage as the new editor of 'Notornis', the presentation of a Meritorious Service Award to Phil Rhodes for his long-term contribution to Birds New Zealand’s work in Southland shortly before he died, and the appointment of two new regional representatives, Dawn Palmer (Otago) and Anita Spencer (Canterbury).

This issue also includes the regular quarterly report of Birds New Zealand President Bruce McKinlay, the bi-annual Bird News report on interesting bird sightings over the past six months, illustrated quarterly reports from Birds New Zealand’s regional representatives, and binocular and book reviews.

Link to low resolution PDF: https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/society-publ ... zLQ4oRfGQC

Members receive four copies of the magazine and Notornis per year: https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/membership/join-now/