BirdingNZ.net

It's not just birds folks, spot the tuatara!!

Hahaha. Definitely an entertaining thread. There was a billboard on Shands Rd coming into CHCH, i'd be damned if I can remember exactly what they were advertising (perhaps an adventure park or ski field) it said ' Have a Falcon good time'. But rather than the amazing New Zealand Falcon they had a Peregrine Falcon on their sign. Come on!!!
Cheers
Mike Ashbee

Here's a partially relevant page from a strange old book about NZ nature; titled, 'Man Against Nature' (Lockley, R.M. 1970).

Then there are cases in which birds from overseas are claimed to have been recorded in New Zealand, when in reality, they never have been. These are usually understandable, such as the ninth edition of Pizzey & Knight's Australian bird guide saying that the Australian Pratincole is a vagrant to NZ. A more confusing example was in a book that I have unfortunately lost and forgotten the title of; it said that the Crested Shriketit (or a similar small Australian forest bird) exists on the Kermadec Islands.

The imagery around the Brook "community group" protests would've been fairly humorous, if the protesters weren't so aggressive; it also highlighted how much they knew. If my memory serves me, they used a college of 1) an Asian species of pigeon (rather than a kereru), 2) some foreign species of gecko/lizard, 3) NZ falcon and 4) RF kakariki. Only NZ falcon were present in the area at the time; probably doesn't help that very few of organisers were from the area

Jake wrote: 3) NZ falcon and 4) RF kakariki. Only NZ falcon were present in the area at the time; probably doesn't help that very few of organisers were from the area

Hopefully the RF kakariki are still present. I got a photo of 2 RF kakariki up by the top dam about 13years ago. YC kakariki are definitely in the brook sanctuary area. And yes the BV Community Group are not a particularly bright bunch.

Here's a surprise - something for sale in the gift shop at Te Papa Museum..............



Ok, maybe its just an arty thing, all cool for a pic of a Common Kingfisher to be for sale as one of several cards of NZ birds?

Yeah, but wait a minute - what does the fine print say?



...."Flame turns Blue by artist Nikki McIvor, New Zealand Kingfisher Kotare (Todiramphus sanctus)"

huh??

Hi Andrew
Yes, that is not good. Nikki McIvor is based in Greytown in the Wairarapa & I would suggest that you send her an email to point this out; otherwise she may not be aware of this error.

Here website & facebook accounts are as follows:-

http://www.wildhoneyart.co.nz/?fbclid=I ... TnAMoXNNuI

https://www.facebook.com/NikkiMcIvorartist/

Cheers
Ian

As an artist I love this thread. The above 'kōtare' is one of many, many incorrectly identified 'NZ 'Kingfishers' I have seen in art by so many people. Obviously the result of a quick 'nz kingfisher' google search.

One of my most favourite things I've seen is the laminated identification guide on the E-ko Tours boat that goes to Blumine Island from Picton. It lists 'Orange-Fronted Parakeet' with a photo of the Central American bird with the same name, which looks very obviously different. It seriously made me laugh when on an expensive trip to see the rare birds (I wish I'd taken a photo of the brochure).

Also another favourite was a well known artist who has painted a ruru body with what was clearly a Little Owl head, it was titled 'ruru'. It's so obvious when people aren't actually passionate about birds, and just use them because thy are a popular subject. Sigh!

melissab wrote:
One of my most favourite things I've seen is the laminated identification guide on the E-ko Tours boat that goes to Blumine Island from Picton. It lists 'Orange-Fronted Parakeet' with a photo of the Central American bird with the same name, which looks very obviously different. It seriously made me laugh when on an expensive trip to see the rare birds (I wish I'd taken a photo of the brochure).

There are actually several errors on that laminated guide. I can't remember them all just now, but Arctic Skua and NZ Falcon are certainly wrong, and I'm sure there are others as well.

We have pointed them out to E-Ko in the past.

cheers

This is a curious subject choice for a wall mural, but I'm sure its a deliberate choice, not mistaken identity for a NZ bird. Worth posting all the same as its intriguing.