Van Perlo B. - Birds of New Zealand, Hawaii, Central and West Pacific

BIRDS OF
NEW ZEALAND,
HAWAII
and the
CENTRAL and
WEST PACIFIC Text and illustrations
by
Ber van Perlo Contents This book should be regarded and treated as a field guide in which the necessary information, needed to identify a bird at the moment you observe it, is given in a condensed form. The low weight and small size thus achieved make it easy to carry the book around and consult in the field. Support of the identification of difficult species can be obtained in more detailed, regional bird books, which could be consulted at home, in vehicles, at your hotel, etc. Sound recordings from commercial CDs and DVDs and transferred to your iPod or other MP3 player can be an important supplementary aid in the field. It is said that the painting in my books is a bit sketchy, somewhat fast and loose, not finely finished. However, if you see a bird in the field you see its uniform-coloured plumage parts as a single surface; painting each individual feather will give too much information unless the feathers form a pattern.

I also find it difficult to draw straight lines, for example, when depicting the parallel primaries in a folded wing, or perfect circles when forming an eye, but this does not prevent a species from being quickly recognised. To me, it is essential that one can see that my work is hand-painted; I love the magic of small spots and streaks, applied with skill and luck that create a shape of something that looks quite different in reality when seen from nearby. In the introduction I have paid attention to landscape and habitats, specific to the area, that determine which bird species can be seen; that is also why information is given about plate tectonics, as one of the main landscape-forming factors. An effort was made to update this book to 2009, but a recent record could not be inserted, namely that of American Avocet Recurvirostris avocetta on Maui, Hawaii. Very similar to 39.9 but with black mantle and white scapulars. In June 2010, just before finishing writing this book, the fourth edition of the Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand was published by the Checklist Committee Ornithological Society of New Zealand.

Only the common names from this publication could be incorporated in this book as explained in the first paragraph of Systematics and Names. Symbols Habitat: a set of environmental factors that is preferred by a bird Vocalisation Notes on range Abbreviations 1st W The plumage worn by a bird after moulting from juvenile plumage 2nd W The plumage worn in the 2nd winter of a birds life Male Males Female Females Ad. Adult Ads Adults Br Breeding N-br Non-Breeding C Central Cf. Compare to E East(ern) E. Endemic Esp. Especially Excl.

Excluding Extr. Extreme I Introduced I. Island Irr Irregular visitor Is Islands Imm. Immature Imms Immatures Incl. Including Juv. Juvenile Juvs Juveniles L Length in cm N North(ern), etc.; also in combination with E and W NI New Zealands North Island Nom.

Nominate; the subspecies of a species that was the first described Pl Plate R Rare S South(ern) Sec Second or seconds SI New Zealands South Island Ssp Subspecies Ssps > 1 subspecies Thr. Throughout V Vagrant W Wingspan in cm; can also mean West(ern): depends on context Countries A.Sa American Samoa Co Cook Islands Fi Fiji FrPo French Polynesia Gu Guam Ha Hawaii Ki Kiribati Ma Marshall Islands Mi Micronesia Na Nauru Ni Niue NMa Northern Marianas NZ New Zealand Pa Palau Pi Pitcairn Islands Sa Samoa Tok Tokelau Ton Tonga Tu Tuvalu WaF Wallis and Futuna Glossary Endemic A species that occurs only in an area with well-defined boundaries such as a continent, a country, an island or a habitat. Forest A tall, multi-layered habitat in which high trees dominate the canopy, which is continuous and closed. Gallery forest A riverine belt that is dominated by trees. Jizz Typical silhouette and stance of a bird species. Riverine belt Any growth along a river or stream that is higher and greener than the more distant surroundings.

Rufescent Tinged with red-rufous colour. Savanna In this book: any (large) area with a continuous cover of (high) grasses, interrupted by shrub and (530%) tree canopy. Second growth New natural forest developing in places where the original forest has disappeared. Speculum Patch of colour on the wing contrasting with that of the rest of the wing. Transient plumage Stage between Br and N-br plumages with traces of Br plumage still visable. Systematics and Names In order to apply a uniform systematic approach and set of names that are valid in New Zealand, Hawaii, the USA, Asia, Europe and anywhere else, this book follows James F. Systematics and Names In order to apply a uniform systematic approach and set of names that are valid in New Zealand, Hawaii, the USA, Asia, Europe and anywhere else, this book follows James F.

Clements The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World , 6th Edition (Helm, 2007) with regard to systematic status (species or subspecies) and names (scientific and English). However, the best-known or most widely used common names used by New Zealanders and in Hawaii should not be neglected, if only to make it easier to find the birds of this book in regional publications. Therefore, alternative English names for species , advised by the Ornithological Society of New Zealand (OSNZ) for New Zealand and by the American Ornithological Union (AOU) for Hawaii, are indicated as insertions in the Clements name, preceded by NZ or AOU in superscript. For example: the species indicated by number 20.9 (Plate 20, number 9) in this book is named the INTERMEDIATE (or NZ Plumed) EGRET ; the Clements name is INTERMEDIATE EGRET , while the OSNZ name is PLUMED EGRET ; number 28.1 in this book is named the ( NZ Australian) WHITE-EYED DUCK ; the Clements name is WHITE-EYED DUCK and the OSNZ name is AUSTRALIAN WHITE-EYED DUCK . In a few cases, well-known alternative names are inserted in the Clements names, such as: 41.5 SNOWY (or Kentish) PLOVER There are also many local names for subspecies , mentioned by the OSNZ and in use for those that occur in New Zealand; these names are given in numbered notes following the captions. An example is: 38.5 PURPLE SWAMPHEN Porphyrio porphyrio ssp melanotus NZ Pukeko; ssp pelewensis [Palau] ssp samoensis [Samoa and Fiji] In this example, the subspecies Pukeko occurs solely and exclusively in New Zealand (with the extra complication that it is treated by the OSNZ as Nominate of SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC SWAMPHEN NZ Porphyrio melanotus ).

In the following example there are four subspecies found in New Zealand: 14.8 LITTLE SHEARWATER Puffinus assimilis Nom. NZ Norfolk Island Little Shearwater ssp kermadecensis NZ Kermadec Little Shearwater ssp haurakensis NZ North Island Little Shearwater ssp elegans NZ Subantarctic Little Shearwater Of these , elegans can also be seen outside the area covered by this book, but only in NZ it is known as Subantarctic Little Shearwater. (Note: The OSNZ has recently risen the Clements subspecies elegans to independent species NZ SUBANTARCTIC LITTLE SHEARWATER Puffinus elegans. ) The French names are those of the Commission Internationale des noms franais doiseaux (CINFO 1993). The sequence of families in this book is more or less traditional, but strongly adapted in order to include up to a maximum of nine, rarely ten similar-looking species, sometimes from different families, in one plate. plumages unless otherwise indicated. plumages unless otherwise indicated.