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Black fantail sightings - Wellington

Posted: Tue May 05, 2020 1:44 pm
by Colin Miskelly
Kia ora

Kate & I found a black fantail (among 9 fantails seen) in Prince of Wales Park during our lunchtime 'lockdown' walk, about 400 m from our property. Kate's cell phone image attached.

By coincidence, only this morning Te Papa colleague Jack Fisher reported a black fantail that he photographed (a distant 'record photo') at Grass St, Roseneath, Wellington on 2 May.

A Zealandia bulletin emailed on 1 May referred to a black fantail seen 'recently' within Zealandia by a staff member

Nga mihi
Colin

Re: Black fantail sightings - Wellington

Posted: Tue May 05, 2020 2:11 pm
by Colin Miskelly
Zealandia conservation director Danielle Shanahan has provided detail that the Zealandia black fantail sighting was on 22 April, and has added two sightings of her own from Korokoro (Lower Hutt):
Singers Rd, 15 April
Korokoro Rd, 22 April

Regards
Colin

Re: Black fantail sightings - Wellington

Posted: Wed May 06, 2020 9:39 am
by melissab
Hi Colin,
I saw this Black Fantail (photo attached) regularly at Zealandia late last year, it was always in the exact same spot every time I visited for about 2 consecutive months. Then it seemed to have vanished, but I heard people mention they'd been seeing one in a different spot, so it may have moved territory.
I've seen them on Te Ahumairangi hill, and in Otari-Wilton's Bush in recent years too.
It's always nice to see a different looking bird than the usual, and I always look out for them, but haven't seen any this year.
Thanks for your info,
Melissa.

1V8A7731 black fantail zealandia 17 oct 19.JPG
1V8A7731 black fantail zealandia 17 oct 19.JPG (888.89 KiB) Viewed 1712 times

Re: Black fantail sightings - Wellington

Posted: Wed May 06, 2020 11:25 am
by Finn Davey
Both birds seem to have the same tiny spot of white in the same place.
So it's possible for them to be the same individual.

Re: Black fantail sightings - Wellington

Posted: Wed May 06, 2020 12:59 pm
by bdarlow
Lovely photograph, Melissa. Black fantails seem quite common around the Port Hills in Christchurch at the moment and most, if not all, have a similar white spot. Brian Darlow

Re: Black fantail sightings - Wellington

Posted: Wed May 06, 2020 2:03 pm
by Colin Miskelly
Lara Shepherd (another Te Papa colleague) reported a black fantail in her garden in Thane Rd, Roseneath, today (6 May). This is about 400 m from the Grass St sighting on 2 May, and these two sightings are more than 2.5 km from the Mt Cook (Prince of Wales Park) sighting on 5 May, and so at least two birds involved.

Regards
Colin