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APPENDIX ONE
ECO-VISTA PO Box 157
Bay View 4149
New Zealand
Mobile + 64 274 426 638
Photography & Research Ltd Email brent@eco-vista.com
www.eco-vista.com
BIRD SURVEY REPORT:
PLIMMERTON FARM PLAN CHANGE
Brent Stephenson PhD
Eco-Vista: Photography & Research Ltd
Submitted: 7 August 2020
Introduction
The intent of this report is to outline the results of a desktop assessment of bird species
likely to occur within the vicinity of the Plimmerton Farm Plan Change site, and to
document findings of on-site surveys. It was determined that a combination of 5-minute
bird counts and transects, as well as general investigation of the site would be most
appropriate, and a discussion of those findings are presented herein. Additionally, the
raw data from the 5-minute bird counts and transects are being made available for
analysis, and to provide a baseline for bird populations at this site.
METHODS
Desktop information gathering
During mid-July 2020, following the initial site visit on 13 & 14 July 2020, a desktop
assessment of bird species that are likely to occur on the site and nearby was conducted.
This entailed investigating eBird (www.ebird.org) and iNaturalist (www.inaturalist.org), as
well as looking at the Ornithological Society of New Zealand (now Birds New Zealand)
previous Bird Atlas Scheme (Robertson et al 2007).
eBird provides the most user-friendly experience and complete database for looking at
what species are present in the area. A search of bird species found within the Porirua
City area (roughly extending from Porirua in the south, to Pukerua Bay in the north, and
Mana Island to the Akatarawa’s (Figure 1) found 124 bird species recorded within the
area (Appendix 1). Additional to this were a number of other bird taxa (hybrids, cage
escapees, etc.).
A search using iNaturalist for the area surrounding the site (roughly the same as the Porirua
City area investigated using eBird) (Figure 1) yielded 2,145 observations of 88 species of
birds. These observations also included a number of escapee species, hybrids, and
recently released species (Appendix 1).
Checking the Atlas of bird distribution in New Zealand 1999-2004 (Robertson et al 2007)
yielded no further species beyond those already found using the online methods
described above.
Figure 1. The approximate area, bounded by the yellow box, in which a search of all bird
species recorded in eBird was conducted. The yellow star shows the approximate
location of the Plimmerton Farm Plan Change site.
Preliminary site visit
An induction and site visit was undertaken with Paul Blaschke on 13 July 2020, and the
site visited again on the morning of 14 July. During the walk around with Paul, there was
discussion of the important habitats for survey, an overview of the planned
development, and a general introduction to the site.
During the late afternoon of 13 July and morning of 14 July, I was able to check out the
placement of the count sites proposed in an initial desktop exercise and make any fine-
tuning adjustments to sites. During this visit I was also able to spend time in and near the
important bird habitats, to assess what was likely to be there, do some preliminary
surveys for crakes and fernbird, and identify several species of interest which otherwise
may not be picked up during the point count and transect surveys planned.
5-minute point count sites and transects locations
During a preliminary desktop exercise a number of possible locations for 5-minute point
count surveys were identified using Google Earth. Following the preliminary site visit (13
& 14 July 2020), the number of point count sites was confirmed at 15 locations (Figure 2).
This was determined by assessing the available habitat for survey, and the terrain and
travel times between sites, so that the counts could be conducted over the period
identified. A GPX file containing the exact locations of these sites will be made
available with this report.
All sites selected were chosen based on proximity to habitat that was considered
important with regards to the bird surveys, and thus there was an emphasis on native
vegetated habitats. Some sites were chosen fully within these habitats – such as PLIM8
which was in the middle of the kanuka gully in the centre of the site, whilst others looked
out over native vegetation in one primary direction – for example PLIM3, which looked
northwards out over a native shrubland gully towards the pine tree block. The sites
were also located as close to habitat boundaries as possible, so that they may still be
present once development has occurred, and therefore provide sites in the future from
which 5-minute bird counts can be conducted. This would be useful to determine
changes in bird populations following the land use change.
As well as the point count sites, seven transects were established (Figure 2). These were
again chosen with habitat in mind, and so again centred around native vegetation
areas. A GPX file of these transects will also be made available, and Table 1 shows the
distances and habitats these transects covered.
Table 1. Seven transects were established between point count sites. These were of
varying length as can be seen.
Name of transect Length (metres) Habitats
PLIM3-4 920m Rough grassland, with native
shrubland gully to north and
pine trees along eastern
150m
PLIM4-5 390m Rough grassland primarily,
with last section overlooking
native shrubland gully
PLIM6-7 220m Edge of native shrubland
gully, some rough grassland
on edge
PLIM7-8 320m Predominantly in native
shrubland gully
PLIM8-9 275m Predominantly in native
shrubland gully
PLIM9-10 250m Native shrubland gully to east
and rough grassland to west
PLIM14-15 420m Swamp to west of transect
and rough pasture slope to
eastFigure 2. Aerial map of the site and the 15 point count sites, with the 7 transects also
identified. GPX files of both of these locations will be supplied.
Methodology for 5-minute point counts and transects
5-minute bird counts have been conducted in New Zealand for some time (Dawson &
Bull 1975), and I have an extensive history with this survey technique. Although 200m
was originally dictated as the distance for which the counts should operate for each
site, I have always worked to 100m. Recently, DOC suggested all birds from each point
site (out to any distance) should be recorded, which in open habitats would mean
distant flying birds would also be included (eg. a magpie or gull at 2km). This makes
point counts in open habitats rather unwieldy, and takes away concentration by the
observer in the vicinity of the point count site, which is most important. It additionally
makes long-term comparisons less meaningful as habitats change (grow to obscure
views or cleared to open views up, etc). Other than this difference in distance,
standard techniques for 5-minute point counts were observed.
Likewise, DOC suggest for transect counts that birds are counted out as far as they can
be seen or heard. Again, it was felt that confining this to approximately 100m was best.
The transects were walked at a slow to moderate pace, with occasional stops to note
species seen and heard. Speed of travel on steeper areas was of course slower, andthe direction travelled did differ in some of the transect counts, but this is unlikely to
affect the outcome.
RESULTS
Combining the list of bird species from both eBird and iNaturalist yielded a total of 129
species within the area (Appendix 1). Of these 41 species are endemic to New Zealand,
41 are native to New Zealand, 14 are non-breeding species that occur as rarities or
seasonal migrants and 34 are introduced by humans. Endemic species are those only
breeding within New Zealand, and nowhere else in the World, whilst native means the
species is naturally occurring in New Zealand, breeds here, but is found naturally
elsewhere in the World. The 82 endemic and native species are considered to be those
of most interest for this survey.
Due to the fact that there are several predator free sanctuaries nearby to the site, and
included within the boundaries of the eBird and iNaturalist searches, including Mana
Island, there are a number of bird species that occur solely (or mostly) in those locations.
Additionally, there are a significant number of seabirds that have been recorded, mainly
at sea, most of which are very unlikely to ever be recorded on land at the Plimmerton
Farm Plan Change site. It is important therefore to concentrate on the species which
actually occur on the mainland, in the vicinity of the site, and potentially within the site,
and these are outlined in Table 2.
There are 49 bird species listed in Table 2, along with the species’ conservation status
(according to Robertson et al 2017), and likelihood of occurrence within the boundary
of the Plimmerton Farm Plan Change site. I have used three broad categories to define
the latter, with 1 meaning the species was found at the site during the survey work
conducted by me during this study, 2 meaning the species possibly occurs at the site at
the right time of the year, infrequently in small numbers, or possibly flying over the site, but
not detected during these surveys, and 3 found outside of the survey site within the
geographical area represented in Figure 1, but unlikely to occur at this site.Table 2. Forty-nine bird species that occur on the Plimmerton Farm Plan Change site, or
that occur in the local vicinity. The species are listed taxonomically, but in order of
occurrence at the site. Likelihood of occurrence values are 1 = found during surveys, 2 =
possible occurrence or flyover, 3 = found outside the survey site nearby but unlikely to
occur on site. For the status column, In = introduced, En = endemic, and Na = Native
and threat status is taken from Robertson et al (2017).
Common name Scientific name Occurrence Status
Paradise shelduck Tadorna variegata 1 En, Not Threatened
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 1 In
Swamp (Australasian) harrier Circus approximans 1 Na, Not Threatened
En, At Risk,
New Zealand falcon (Bush falcon) Falco novaeseelandiae ferox 1
Recovering
Pukeko (purple swamphen) Porphyrio melanotus 1 Na, Not Threatened
Masked lapwing (spur-winged plover) Vanellus miles 1 Na, Not Threatened
Kelp (Black-backed) gull Larus dominicanus 1 Na, Not Threatened
Eastern rosella Platycercus eximius 1 In
Morepork Ninox novaeseelandiae 1 Na, Not Threatened
Grey warbler Gerygone igata 1 En, Not Threatened
New Zealand bellbird Anthornis melanura 1 En, Not Threatened
Tui Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae 1 En, Not Threatened
Whitehead Mohoua albicilla 1 En, At Risk, Declining
Australian magpie Gymnorhina tibicen 1 In
New Zealand fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa 1 En, Not Threatened
Eurasian skylark Alauda arvensis 1 In
Silvereye (waxeye) Zosterops lateralis 1 Na, Not Threatened
Welcome swallow Hirundo neoxena 1 Na, Not Threatened
Eurasian blackbird Turdus merula 1 In
Song thrush Turdus philomelos 1 In
Common starling Sturnus vulgaris 1 In
House sparrow Passer domesticus 1 In
New Zealand pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae 1 En, At Risk, Declining
Dunnock Prunella modularis 1 In
Common chaffinch Fringilla coelebs 1 In
European goldfinch Carduelis carduelis 1 In
European greenfinch Carduelis chloris 1 In
Common redpoll Carduelis flammea 1 In
Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella 1 In
Common (ring-necked) pheasant Phasianus colchicus 2 In
California quail Lophortyx californica 2 In
Grey teal Anas gracilis 2 Na, Not Threatened
Pacific black (grey) duck Anas superciliosa 2 Na, Nationally criticalAustralasian shoveler Anas rhynchotis 2 Na, Not Threatened
White-faced heron Egretta novaehollandiae 2 Na, Not Threatened
New Zealand pigeon (kereru) Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae 2 En, Not Threatened
Shining bronze-cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus 2 Na, Not Threatened
En, At Risk, Naturally
Long-tailed cuckoo Eudynamys taitensis 2
Uncommon
Sacred kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus 2 Na, Not Threatened
New Zealand tomtit Petroica macrocephala 2 En, Not Threatened
En, At Risk,
New Zealand grebe (dabchick) Poliocephalus rufopectus 3
Recovering
Great egret (white heron) Ardea alba 3 Na, Nationally critical
Australasian bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus 3 Na, Nationally critical
Spotless crake Porzana tabuensis 3 Na, At Risk, Declining
En, At Risk,
New Zealand kaka Nestor meridionalis 3
Recovering
Red-crowned parakeet Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae 3 Na, At Risk, Relict
Yellow-crowned parakeet Cyanoramphus auriceps 3 En, Not Threatened
North Island robin Petroica longipes 3 En, At Risk, Declining
New Zealand fernbird Bowdleria punctata 3 En, At Risk, Declining
Sightings of noteworthy species and comments
During the time spent on site a number of observations of several noteworthy species
were made. These are outlined and discussed below.
New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) (At risk, recovering)
New Zealand falcon were considered to be a possible species occurring at/near the
site from the desktop exercise, and a general knowledge of falcon habitats around
New Zealand. A New Zealand falcon was seen twice during the field work on site,
possibly representing the same bird on each occasion, appearing to be a large female.
A falcon was seen first on 14 July 2020 at approximately 1050, flying in a west to east
direction over the main gully (indicated on Figure 3). The bird was in view for about 20
seconds and disappeared to the east. A falcon was then also seen on 29 July 2020 at
0830 near the farm shed between PLIM1 and PLIM2 count sites. The bird was flying
when initially seen, and then sat on a fence post nearby, but disappeared from view
shortly after.
Although falcon clearly occur at this site, it is unclear whether this represents a pair, that
breeds nearby or within the boundary of the site. It might be that this bird is one that
breeds elsewhere but hunts over this location. Substantiating the latter is the common
occurrence of Swamp harriers at this site, and the fact that no interactions between
harriers and falcon was observed. In areas where falcons have a breeding site, they
will often chase harriers from the vicinity, even in the non-breeding season. This sort of
behaviour was just observed (late July 2020) at a site in Hawkes Bay. Further work(during Oct-Dec) would need to be conducted to determine the prevalence of the
species at this site, and to confirm whether the species does or doesn’t breed here.
Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) (Not threatened)
This species was expected to occur on the site, and on 14 July 2020 a bird was found
roosting in the shrubland on the easterly facing slope just adjacent to PLIM15.
Subsequently, during the survey work another morepork was located roosting in
shrubland right by PLIM8, in the main gully. Both sighting locations are indicated in
Figure 3, but the species is likely to occur throughout the areas of native shrubland and
adjacent rough grassland.
It is expected that there could be approximately five pairs of morepork breeding on the
site, with their territories mainly centred around the native shrubland habitats.
New Zealand pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae) (At risk, declining)
New Zealand pipit were seen and heard on each day spent on the site. They favoured
the sloping rough grasslands on the site, and appeared to be relatively common. An
estimate of approximately 6-7 pairs is tentatively made. Their distribution was scattered
across the site, so sightings are not shown on Figure 3).
Whitehead (Mohoua albicilla) (At risk, declining)
This species was encountered during the survey work, being first heard in the pine tree
block in the northern part of the site on 27 July 2020 (Figure 3). Subsequently, birds were
heard and located along the southern and eastern boundaries of the pine block, and
were also detected in 5-minute counts and transects. On 30 July 2020 I investigated the
southern boundary of the pine block more fully and located two ‘flocks’ of whitehead.
One flock consisted of 6-10 birds feeding in the pines near to the southern boundary of
the pine block, and the other was a single bird singing further to the east on the same
southern boundary. It is likely that small flocks occur throughout the pine block, and
that these are resident at this location throughout the year, and breed at this location.
Crake surveys and comments
Spotless crake (At risk, declining) has been recorded at the nearby Taupo Swamp during
the recent 2015 bird survey there (Small 2015). And there are a number of records from
the Pauatahanui Wildlife Reserve at the eastern end of the Pauatahanui Inlet from both
eBird and iNaturalist. Its close relative the Baillon’s (marsh) crake (At risk, declining) was
not recorded at Taupo swamp during Small’s (2015) survey, and has no records in eBird
or iNaturalist for the area nearby.
During time spent on the site, calls of both spotless and Baillon’s (marsh) crake were
played through a small speaker on several occasions during ad hoc ‘surveys’ on 13 & 14
July 2020, adjacent to the wetland areas. No response was detected. Although Baillon’s
crake are often very difficult to detect using call playback surveys (own experience),
spotless crakes are often quite vocal in response to call playback.Figure 3. Sightings of New Zealand falcon (green stars), morepork (yellow stars) and whitehead (white stars) on the site. On 30 July, more rigorous surveys were conducted. These differed to the survey protocol used by Small (2015), and were instead 1 minute of Spotless crake calls, followed by an approximately 30 second break, then 1 minute of Baillon’s crake call. A 5-10 min listening period was then conducted, followed by a repeat of the calls for one minute each, including the 30 sec break between. After 3-5 minutes I moved on to the next site. This much simpler approach allowed a variety of different calls to be played from each species, but still allowed for adequate listening for any response. As the survey was to determine presence or absence of crakes, without the need to quantify response, it was felt this simple approach was warranted. Seven sites were surveyed for crakes, and these are shown on Figure 4. Four were adjacent to the main wetland area in the southern part of the site, and one and two sites in the northern wetlands, respectively. The conditions on the day were sunny and clear, little wind and ideal listening. No response of either spotless crake or Baillon’s crake was recorded at any of the survey sites. To make sure that crakes were actually responsive to call playback at this time of the year, on 30 July 2020, after I drove back to Hawkes Bay from Plimmerton, I stopped off at the Pekapeka Wetland just south of Hastings. This site is a known location for spotless and
Baillon’s crake, and using the same protocol as that used in the morning at Plimmerton, I
had strong responses by spotless crakes (in both cases two birds calling and
approaching) at two of the three sites surveyed. Based on this, and the lack of response
at sites in Plimmerton, I think it reasonable to conclude that both crake species are highly
unlikely to be present in the small wetlands on the site. This is perhaps due the isolated
nature and small size of the wetland fragments, as well as potentially negative effects of
mammalian predators which are likely to be present in and around the site.
Figure 4. Crake survey sites at which call surveys were conducted on 30 July 2020.
Comments on other species that occur in or near to the site
Species below are some of the species mentioned in Table 2. Threat status is given for all
species for which there is a threat status listed in Robertson 2017. Thus, if a threat status is
not mentioned after the species name below, it is classified as ‘not threatened’.
No common pheasant nor California quail were located on the site, although it is likely
that both of these species could occur here. Being introduced they are not of great
importance for this survey.Paradise shelduck were recorded during the surveys, and were frequently seen on the site. They especially favoured the lower parts of the site, and the damp paddock between PLIM11 and PLIM14 adjacent to the southern end of the main wetland was a favourite location, with up to six birds being recorded here on the afternoon of 27 July 2020. A pair of mallard ducks was seen on the site at two different locations, but no other species of waterfowl were seen on the site. With only one small farm pond that has open water, the other species are less likely to occur on this site, but may still occasionally occur here. This includes Pacific black duck (Grey duck) which is listed as Nationally critical. New Zealand grebe (dabchick) (At Risk, recovering) although present nearby in wetland areas in relatively good numbers, are unlikely to occur on site due to the limited amount of open water. That said, they could occasionally occur on the small farm pond mentioned above. Great egret (white heron) (Nationally critical) has been recorded nearby at Pauatahanui, but is unlikely to occur on this site due to limited preferred habitats. White- faced heron, although not recorded on the site, is likely to occur in small numbers in the damp paddocks and fringes of the wetland habitats. Australasian bittern (Nationally critical) have in the past been recorded at Taupo Swamp (referred to in Small 2015), but there are very few recent records for the local area. Small (2015) did not record the species at Taupo Swamp during her surveys. eBird contains a record of an injured bird being found at Pauatahanui in Mar 2019, and a bird seen during June 2006 on Mana Island. These two sightings may well represent young birds dispersing from larger wetland habitats in the southern North Island. Whatever, it is clear the species is quite infrequent in the vicinity, and it is quite unlikely that this species utilises the wetland habitats at this site. No sign or calls of this species were detected during this survey work. Swamp (Australasian) harriers are relatively common on the site, with a number of pairs and displaying birds seen throughout the site. It is likely that there are at least 2-3 pairs breeding over the site. They are widely distributed over almost all of New Zealand, and their presence at this site is to be expected. Pukeko and masked lapwing (spur-winged plover) were seen throughout the site, the former relatively abundant in and adjacent to the wetland areas, and the latter in several locations on the rough grassland. Kelp (black-backed gull) were recorded flying over the site in small numbers (1-6 at a time), but were not seen to land at the site. It is likely they do land during the lambing season, when they are likely to scavenge dead or dying lambs. New Zealand pigeon (kereru) was not seen on the site during the survey work. However, during the course of the survey work, a single bird was seen just to the north of the site beside State Highway 1 adjacent to Airlie Road, and six birds seen in flight where SH1 meets the coast just north of Pukerua Bay. From eBird records it is clear that the species is found throughout the local area, so it is likely that birds pass over the site, and probably do utilise some of the native shrubland remnants for feeding. Tree species present in small numbers on the site, such as karaka, totara, kahikatea, and nikau would all provide food for this species. It is perhaps unlikely that the species breeds on the site, but this would need further work to determine.
Eastern rosella was found relatively commonly throughout the site during the survey work. But there was no sign of kaka, red-crowned or yellow-crowned parakeets at the site. It is unlikely that any of these species occurs frequently at the site. Yellow-crowned parakeets were reintroduced to Mana Island in mid-2004 and there are infrequent records of birds scattered throughout the local vicinity outside of the site. Likewise, red-crowned parakeets are common on pest-free Kapiti Island to the north, and have been reintroduced to Zealandia Sanctuary in 2010. They too have infrequent records scattered around the local vicinity outside of the site, but are unlikely to occur within the site. New Zealand kaka also occur naturally on Kapiti Island, and are also found throughout the Tararua Ranges and other forested areas in the southern North Island. They too were reintroduced to Zealandia Sanctuary in 2002. Again, it is unlikely that this species is present at this site, except as a very rare visitor, or flying over. Two cuckoo species occur in New Zealand, and both are generally migratory, meaning that neither were likely to be detected at the site during this survey work (in winter). Shining-bronze cuckoo is likely to be present during Spring and Summer, as their primary host, the grey warbler, was found to be quite common throughout the native shrubland on the site. Long-tailed cuckoo (At risk, naturally uncommon) may also pass through the site, as their predominant host species in the North Island, the whitehead, was found in the pine block in the north of the site. Surveys during the Spring and Summer period would be required to determine the exact use of the site by these species. New Zealand fernbird (At risk, declining) has been recorded mainly around the Pauatahanui Inlet area, and Mana Island. There is one site on the Plimmerton coast where they have been recorded also (eBird). During the time I spent on site, I was constantly listening for their distinctive call, and played calls through a speaker at several wetland locations. Fernbirds were not detected anywhere on site, and it is highly likely they would have been, had they been present. Whilst the wetland habitat present would be suitable, the patches are likely to be too small and isolated, and perhaps hold mammalian predators in numbers that would currently make it difficult for this species to maintain a viable population (as with crakes above). Fernbird were not found during the recent 2015 survey of Taupo Swamp, a much larger example of similar wetland within 3- 400m (or less) of the three main sections of wetland on this site. Endemic forest bird species appeared to be in relatively healthy population numbers within the site, and each of these have been previously recorded in the surrounding areas. Grey warbler, New Zealand fantail and silvereye were all seen and heard regularly during the point counts and transects, and it is clear that the native shrubland holds healthy populations of these species. Tui were also heard and seen within and near the native shrubland patches. Tui are a highly mobile species and often disperse to locations where food is present at different times of the year, and tui were seen on several occasions flying high over the site, heading off to neighbouring areas. It is likely that small numbers of pairs (5-10) breed within the site during Spring and Summer. Bellbird were only heard and seen on a few occasions during the survey work, so appeared less common at the site than Tui, at the particular time the work was conducted. Again, this species is mobile, and so seasonal differences in population numbers might occur. It is likely that the species currently breeds in low numbers within the site.
Neither New Zealand tomtit nor North Island robin (At risk, declining) were recorded on
the site during the survey work. New Zealand tomtit does occur in areas of forest to the
east of the site, and it is possible that the occasional bird makes it to the site. However, if
the species was present during the survey work, it is likely that it would have been
detected. North Island robins were reintroduced to Mana Island in 1995-96 and
Zealandia Sanctuary in 2001, after being extinct throughout most of the lower North Island
for some time. There is one potential record from Battle Hill Farm Park in 2016, but this is
the only record from the local vicinity, and the species is highly unlikely to currently occur
at the site.
The introduced finches and other songbirds outlined in Table 2 were all detected during
the surveys, some in relatively high numbers, as to be expected with this sort of habitat.
Several flocks of 200-300 starlings were observed during the time on site, a fairly common
occurrence during the winter months in rural New Zealand. Dunnocks were particularly
common within the site, and perhaps the time of year was an explanation for their
common detection during counts, with the birds being frequently heard singing, perhaps
leading up to Spring.
Overall comments and suggestions
During the course of the survey work at this site there were not too many surprises with
regards to the species recorded. It was useful to confirm the presence of New Zealand
falcon at the site from direct observations, a species that would have been expected to
occur, but could easily have evaded detection during the limited number of days on
site. Likewise, finding and confirming the presence of morepork on the site was
rewarding. A relatively healthy population of native and endemic species occurs on the
site, and the native shrubland that is present in some of the gullies clearly meets their
needs. With some restoration, predator control and habitat enrichment, it is likely that
the site could support an increase in population size of many of these species.
It was clear from time spent on the site that possum numbers are fairly high, with scat
being found commonly throughout, and many animal trails in and out of the native
shrubland. A possum was even seen feeding on the grassland adjacent to the main gully
in the middle of the day. The small wetland fragments are also likely to have high
numbers of mammalian pests, and in general trapping and mammal control at the site
would greatly benefit the bird populations.
REFERENCES
Dawson DG, Bull PC 1975. Counting birds in New Zealand forests. Notornis 22, 101-109.
Robertson CJR, Hyvönen P, Fraser MJ, Pickard CR 2007. Atlas of bird distribution in New
Zealand 1999-2004. Wellington, New Zealand, The Ornithological Society of New
Zealand.Robertson HA, Baird K, Dowding JE, Elliott, GP, Hitchmough RA, Miskelly CM, McArthur N, O’Donnell CFJ, Sagar P, Scofield RP, Taylor GA 2017. Conservation status of New Zealand birds, 2016. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 19. Wellington, New Zealand, Department of Conservation. Small D 2015. Final report on the baseline survey of wetland birds at Taupo Swamp, Plimmerton, Wellington.
Appendix 1. Full list of the 129 bird species determined as present in the vicinity of the Plimmerton Farm Plan change site as per the desktop surveys through eBird and iNaturalist. Common name Scientific name Status eBird iNaturalist Okarito brown kiwi (Rowi) Apteryx rowi Rare En x x Little spotted kiwi Apteryx owenii Rare En x x Indian peafowl (peacock) Pavo cristatus Uncmn In x Common (ring-necked) pheasant Phasianus colchicus Cmn In x Chukar Alectoris chukar Loccomn In Brown quail Coturnix ypsilophora Loccomn In x California quail Lophortyx californica Cmn In x x Mute swan Cygnus olor Rare In x Black swan Cygnus atratus Cmn In x x Feral (greylag) goose Anser anser Cmn In x x Canada goose Branta canadensis Cmn In x x Paradise shelduck Tadorna variegata Cmn En x x Grey teal Anas gracilis Cmn Na x x Brown teal Anas chlorotis Rare En x x Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Cmn In x x Pacific black (grey) duck Anas superciliosa Cmn Na x Australasian shoveler Anas rhynchotis Cmn Na x x New Zealand scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae Uncmn En x New Zealand grebe (dabchick) Poliocephalus rufopectus Uncmn En x x Fiordland (New Zealand) crested penguin Eudyptes pachyrhynchus Rare En x Little penguin Eudyptula minor Cmn Na x x Black-browed albatross (mollymawk) Thalassarche melanophris Cmn Na x White-capped albatross (mollymawk) Thalassarche steadi Cmn En x x Salvin's albatross (mollymawk) Thalassarche salvini Cmn En x Northern giant-petrel Macronectes halli Cmn Na x x Southern (Antarctic) fulmar Fulmarus glacialoides Loccomn Na x Cape petrel (pigeon) Daption capense Cmn Na x Kerguelen petrel Lugensa brevirostris Uncmn Nb x Juan Fernandez petrel Pterodroma externa Vagnt Nb x Fairy prion Pachyptila turtur Cmn Na x x Westland petrel Procellaria westlandica Uncmn En x Buller's shearwater Puffinus bulleri Cmn En x Flesh-footed shearwater Puffinus carneipes Cmn Na x Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus Cmn Na x x
Fluttering shearwater Puffinus gavia Cmn En x x
Hutton's shearwater Puffinus huttoni Loccomn En x
White-faced storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina Cmn Na x
Common diving-petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix Cmn Na x
Australasian gannet Morus serrator Cmn Na x x
Phalacrocorax
Little pied cormorant melanoleucos Cmn Na x x
Great cormorant (black shag) Phalacrocorax carbo Cmn Na x x
Pied cormorant Phalacrocorax varius Loccomn Na x x
Little black cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris Loccomn Na x x
Spotted shag Stictocarbo punctatus Loccomn En x x
Great egret (white heron) Ardea alba Uncmn Na x x
White-faced heron Egretta novaehollandiae Cmn Na x x
Little egret Egretta garzetta Uncmn Nb x
Eastern reef egret (heron) Egretta sacra Uncmn Na x x
Australasian bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus Rare Na x
Glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus Uncmn Nb x
Royal spoonbill Platalea regia Loccomn Na x x
Swamp (Australasian) harrier Circus approximans Cmn Na x x
New Zealand falcon Falco novaeseelandiae Uncmn En x x
Buff-banded (banded) rail Gallirallus philippensis Loccomn Na x
Weka Gallirallus australis Loccomn En x
Spotless crake Porzana tabuensis Loccomn Na x x
Pukeko (purple swamphen) Porphyrio melanotus Cmn Na x x
South Island takahe Porphyrio hochstetteri Rare En x x
Eurasian coot Fulica atra Loccomn Na x
Red (lesser) knot Calidris canutus Cmn Nb x
Pectoral sandpiper Calidris melanotos Vagnt Nb x
Numenius
Eastern curlew madagascariensis Uncmn Nb x
Bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica Cmn Nb x
Common greenshank Tringa nebularia Uncmn Nb x
Ruddy turnstone Arenaria interpres Cmn Nb x
Variable oystercatcher Haematopus unicolor Uncmn En x x
South Island (pied) oystercatcher Haematopus finschi Cmn En x x
Pied (black-winged) stilt Himantopus himantopus Cmn Na x x
Pacific golden plover Pluvialis fulva Cmn Nb x
New Zealand plover (dotterel) Charadrius obscurus Uncmn En x
Banded dotterel (double-banded
plover) Charadrius bicinctus Cmn En x x
Shore plover Thinornis novaeseelandiae Rare En x xWrybill Anarhynchus frontalis Loccomn En x
Masked lapwing (spur-winged
plover) Vanellus miles Cmn Na x x
Parasitic jaeger (Arctic skua) Stercorarius parasiticus Cmn Nb x x
Kelp (Black-backed) gull Larus dominicanus Cmn Na x x
Red-billed gull Larus scopulinus Cmn En x x
Black-billed gull Larus bulleri Cmn En x x
Caspian tern Hydroprogne caspia Uncmn Na x x
Black-fronted tern Chlidonias albostriatus Uncmn En x
Crested tern Sterna bergii Vagnt Nb x
White-fronted tern Sterna striata Cmn Na x x
Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea Vagnt Nb x
Rock (feral) pigeon Columba livia Cmn In x x
African (Barbary) collared-dove Streptopelia roseogrisea Rare In x
Hemiphaga
New Zealand pigeon (kereru) novaeseelandiae Cmn En x x
New Zealand kaka Nestor meridionalis Loccomn En x x
Sulphur-crested cockatoo Cacatua galerita Uncmn In x
Crimson rosella Platycercus elegans Rare In x
Eastern rosella Platycercus eximius Loccomn In x x
Cyanoramphus
Red-crowned parakeet novaezelandiae Loccomn En x x
Yellow-crowned parakeet Cyanoramphus auriceps Loccomn En x x
Shining bronze-cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus Cmn Na x x
Long-tailed koel (cuckoo) Eudynamys taitensis Loccomn Na x x
Morepork Ninox novaeseelandiae Cmn Na x x
Sacred kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus Cmn Na x x
North Island kokako Callaeas wilsoni Rare En x
North Island saddleback Philesturnus rufusater Rare En x x
Stitchbird Notiomystis cincta Rare En x x
Grey gerygone (warbler) Gerygone igata Cmn En x x
New Zealand bellbird Anthornis melanura Cmn En x x
Prosthemadera
Tui novaeseelandiae Cmn En x x
Whitehead Mohoua albicilla Loccomn En x x
Australian magpie Gymnorhina tibicen Cmn In x x
New Zealand fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa Cmn Na x x
Rook Corvus frugilegus Loccomn In x
New Zealand tomtit Petroica macrocephala Cmn En x x
North Island robin Petroica longipes Uncmn En x x
Eurasian skylark Alauda arvensis Cmn In x x
New Zealand fernbird Bowdleria punctata Loccomn En x xSilvereye (waxeye) Zosterops lateralis Cmn Na x x Welcome swallow Hirundo neoxena Cmn Na x x Eurasian blackbird Turdus merula Cmn In x x Song thrush Turdus philomelos Cmn In x x Common starling Sturnus vulgaris Cmn In x x Common myna Acridotheres tristis Loccomn In x House sparrow Passer domesticus Cmn In x x New Zealand pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae Uncmn En x x Dunnock Prunella modularis Cmn In x x Common chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Cmn In x x European goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Cmn In x x European greenfinch Carduelis chloris Cmn In x x Common redpoll Carduelis flammea Cmn In x Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella Cmn In x x Cirl bunting Emberiza cirlus Uncmn In x Random escapees, hybrids Red-legged partridge In x Red junglefowl In x x Purple-crowned lorikeet In x Budgerigar In x Moa sp bone x Lady Amhert's x Golden pheasant hybrid x Muscovy duck In x Mallard x Pacific black duck hybrid x x
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