International Ornithological Expert Studying Migration

Forest and Bird, Issue 303, 1 February 2002, Page 38

International Ornithological Expert Studying Migration

—SARAH GIBBS

1) r Theunis Piersma, a leading ecologist from the Netherlands, shared his knowledge of international migratory wading birds during a recent public lecture coordinated by Forest and Bird on the Kaipara Harbour.. The meeting was held in conjunction with the New Zealand Wader Study Group, Miranda Naturalist Trust, and the Ornithological Society ‘in the field’ at Tapora, a popular bird-watching site on the Kaipara Harbour, north of Auckland. According to Dr Piersma, New Zealand is one of three places in the world that has inter-tidal mudflats and sand-flats with high bivalve populations. This is one of the key reasons why birds with very specialised feeding habits, such as godwits and knots, migrate to New Zealand annually from the northern hemisphere. Tapora, which has long been regarded by New Zealand ornithologists as ‘the Miranda of the north; is another roosting

place considered to be internationally significant. Among other things it is listed by the president of the Ornithological Society, David Medway, as the most important post-breeding flock site for endangered New Zealand dotterels. Despite a front hitting Northland, many attendees braved the weather and headed down to the beach with Dr Piersma and other ornithologists to view godwits and knots that had migrated to New Zealand from Siberia and Alaska for the southern hemisphere summer. Dr Piersma visited New Zealand to help set up a research programme to investigate whether some birds that visit New Zealand make a direct, nonstop flight from Alaska, rather than migrating along the Asian coast. His visit to New Zealand was sponsored by the New Zealand Wader Study Group with support from Forest and Bird.