New Zealand Ravens

[Ian Southey]

Here's one I've been waiting to see for some time

https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... and_Ravens

It looks like New Zealand Ravens are like Aussie ravens - but with a twist.

Ian

[Michael]

My recent trip to Adelaide, South Australia, made me realise just how different New Zealand would've been if these birds had survived. The Red-Billed Gull was rarely found far from the coast, where it's NZ role had been taken by the Australian Raven. Even on the beach, it was the ravens who were scrounging around for edible bits and bobs in the sands.

[andrewcrossland]

I wonder what effect beach-dwelling ravens had on nz shorebirds in the past? If a morepork can wipe out a shire plover pop what could the Ravens do? I once spent two years studying a breeding population of Malaysian plover in Singapore. ONE of the main predators of chick's was the introduced and ubiquitous house crow. I could imagine crows or ravens in nz wreaking havoc on beach and riverbed birds here. ......

[Ian Southey]

But they are the kind of predator that New Zealand birds seem to have some defences for. Shore Plover even nest under cover.

Ian

[Clinton9]

Red-billed gulls were cliff nesters while Black-billed gulls were inland nesters. NZ ravens would have be careful not be dive-bombed by group of Red-billed gulls and nests were on narrowest ledge, so ravens might not able to take eggs from nests of Red-billed gulls.

If NZ ravens are confined to coasts with Red-billed gulls, they would have no way of take eggs from Black-billed gull colonies.