MEGA - multiple Gull-billed Terns at Manawatu Estuary

[philbattley]

Forgot to say that I also got an incredibly distant picture of one flying downriver with a large frog hanging from its bill.

[Clinton9]

Frogs have little nutient and do not give birds much energy and the GB tern will properly release the frog as it was too big to be swallowed. GB terns prefterrred insects, crabs, fish and small reptiles as skinks which have high nutient and give birds lot of energies. Foods are swallowed whole.

[craigsteed]

Three gull-billed terns present this morning by the bollards, one turnstone hanging with 11wrybills and a pacific golden-plover with about 35 godwits on the spit.

[ledzep]

2 Gull-billed Terns still present at Foxton Beach. Today they rested for a few minutes with the Caspian Terns, Godwits and Knots, before flying off. Still not sure if they hunt out at sea, or head up river.

(66.95 KiB) Viewed 5937 times

[sav]

Three birds present today over high tide. All 3 in more or less identical plumage - very close to fully black caps.
I saw 2 birds engaged in courtship behaviour, which consisted of various posturing (I think called Forward Erect) where one bird had wings held slightly away from the body, straight neck but bill horizontal, and head turning with almost touching bills.
This behaviour is not described in HANZAB (which has surprisingly little about GBT behaviour), but is in BWP.
I can only imagine that this has never been seen before in NZ.........

The "breeding theorists" can have a field day now!!

Also present, 11 Wrybill, 2 Sharpies, 9 PGPs, 225 Barwits (with 23 juvs) and 51 Red Knot
cheers

[Clinton9]

Let's hope GBT will breed in NZ for 2nd time.

[andrewcrossland]

when was the first time?

[Clinton9]

I don't know but proberly 1 year ago.

But NZ-bred GBT in juvenile plumages are not available until late Dec or January.

Give these GBT their chance to breed in NZ.

They will be useful as insect controllers.

[Brent Stephenson]

Single GBT seen today at Manawatu Estuary, a bird with close to full black cap.

Also THREE sharp-tailed sandpipers present, with about 7 wrybill present also.

Cheers,

[craigsteed]

2 GBT seen today at high tide on the spit during the November wader count, 1 sharpie making itself known but birds were hunkering down from the strong westerly amongst the vegetation making for tricky viewing.