Introduced Mammalian Predators Induce Behavioral Changes in Parental Care in an Endemic New Zealand Bird

2016 ◽  
pp. 287-303
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Mammalian Predators

scholarly journals Introduced Mammalian Predators Induce Behavioural Changes in Parental Care in an Endemic New Zealand Bird

PLoS ONE ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. e2331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Massaro ◽  
Amanda Starling-Windhof ◽  
James V. Briskie ◽  
Thomas E. Martin
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Behavioural Changes ◽  
Mammalian Predators

scholarly journals Complete genomes of two extinct New Zealand passerines show responses to climate fluctuations but no evidence for genomic erosion prior to extinction

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 20190491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Dussex ◽  
Johanna von Seth ◽  
Michael Knapp ◽  
Olga Kardailsky ◽  
Bruce C. Robertson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Genomic Diversity ◽  
Climate Fluctuations ◽  
Forest Clearing ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Demographic Trajectories ◽  
Human Climate

Human intervention, pre-human climate change (or a combination of both), as well as genetic effects, contribute to species extinctions. While many species from oceanic islands have gone extinct due to direct human impacts, the effects of pre-human climate change and human settlement on the genomic diversity of insular species and the role that loss of genomic diversity played in their extinctions remains largely unexplored. To address this question, we sequenced whole genomes of two extinct New Zealand passerines, the huia ( Heteralocha acutirostris ) and South Island kōkako ( Callaeas cinereus ). Both species showed similar demographic trajectories throughout the Pleistocene. However, the South Island kōkako continued to decline after the last glaciation, while the huia experienced some recovery. Moreover, there was no indication of inbreeding resulting from recent mating among closely related individuals in either species. This latter result indicates that population fragmentation associated with forest clearing by Maōri may not have been strong enough to lead to an increase in inbreeding and exposure to genomic erosion. While genomic erosion may not have directly contributed to their extinctions, further habitat fragmentation and the introduction of mammalian predators by Europeans may have been an important driver of extinction in huia and South Island kōkako.

scholarly journals Bioacoustic monitoring of New Zealand avifauna before and after aerial 1080 operations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Roald Egbert Harro Bomans
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Conservation Practice ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Scale Population ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Native Birds

<p>Introduced mammalian predators, namely possums, stoats and rats, are the leading cause of decline in native avifauna in New Zealand. The control of these species is essential to the persistence of native birds. A major component of mammal control in New Zealand is carried out through the aerial distribution of the toxin sodium monofluoroacetate (otherwise known as 1080). The use of this toxin, however, is subject to significant public debate. Many opponents of its use claim that forests will ‘fall silent’ following aerial operations, and that this is evidence of negative impacts on native bird communities. With the continued and likely increased use of this poison, monitoring the outcomes of such pest control operations is necessary to both address these concerns and inform conservation practice. The recent growth in autonomous recording units (ARUs) provides novel opportunities to conduct monitoring using bioacoustics. This thesis used bioacoustic techniques to monitor native bird species over three independent aerial 1080 operations in the Aorangi and Rimutaka Ranges of New Zealand.  In Chapter 2, diurnal bird species were monitored for 10-12 weeks over two independent operations in treatment and non-treatment areas. At the community level, relative to non-treatment areas, the amount of birdsong recorded did not decrease significantly in treatment areas across either of the operations monitored. At the species level, one species, the introduced chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), showed a significant decline in the prevalence of its calls in the treatment areas relative to non-treatment areas. This was observed over one of the two operations monitored. Collectively, these results suggest that diurnal native avifaunal communities do not ‘fall silent’ following aerial 1080 operations.  The quantity of data produced by ARUs can demand labour-intensive manual analysis. Extracting data from recordings using automated detectors is a potential solution to this issue. The creation of such detectors, however, can be subjective, iterative, and time-consuming. In Chapter 3, a process for developing a parsimonious, template-based detector in an efficient, objective manner was developed. Applied to the creation of a detector for morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) calls, the method was highly successful as a directed means to achieve parsimony. An initial pool of 187 potential templates was reduced to 42 candidate templates. These were further refined to a 10-template detector capable of making 98.89% of the detections possible with all 42 templates in approximately a quarter of the processing time for the dataset tested. The detector developed had a high precision (0.939) and moderate sensitivity (0.399) with novel recordings, developed for the minimisation of false-positive errors in unsupervised monitoring of broad-scale population trends.  In Chapter 4, this detector was applied to the short-term 10-12 week monitoring of morepork in treatment and non-treatment areas around three independent aerial 1080 operations; and to longer-term four year monitoring in two study areas, one receiving no 1080 treatment, and one receiving two 1080 treatments throughout monitoring. Morepork showed no significant difference in trends of calling prevalence across the three independent operations monitored. Longer-term, a significant quadratic effect of time since 1080 treatment was found, with calling prevalences predicted to increase for 3.5 years following treatment. Collectively, these results suggest a positive effect of aerial 1080 treatment on morepork populations in the lower North Island, and build on the small amount of existing literature regarding the short- and long-term response of this species to aerial 1080 operations.</p>

scholarly journals Understanding the distribution of introduced mammalian predators in an urban environment using monitoring tools and community trapping

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Cherie Balls
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Trap Density ◽  
Predator Control ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Monitoring Devices ◽  
Tracking Tunnels ◽  
Broad Scale

<p>Introduced mammalian predators are one of the largest conservation threats to New Zealand native flora and fauna, and there is an increasing concern about their presence in urban environments, coupled with a recognition that cities present a unique opportunity for ecological restoration, due to the availability of a large number of volunteers and options for intensive management of green spaces and gardens. Predator control is an essential step towards the ecological restoration of urban environments, however, it requires an understanding of the factors influencing the distribution of these mammalian predators before successful control operations can be implemented. Few studies have investigated mammalian predators in urban environments, and there is little certainty about what drives their distribution in these environments. This thesis used simple mammal monitoring techniques and trapping data to investigate the distribution of mammalian predators within broad scale urban environments, with the aim of identifying drivers of their distribution.  Chew cards and tracking tunnels collected across three New Zealand cities were assessed for their efficacy as accurate monitoring devices in urban environments. In Chapter 2, monitoring devices were cross-checked between observers to assess the level of consistency in interpretation of chew and tracking marks. The consistency of chew card and tracking tunnel identifications was relatively high overall and were not substantially influenced by the city of identification, or the duration of card exposures. Monitoring devices were also assessed for their change in sensitivity between one and six-night exposures. Both devices were effective at detecting rats, however, tracking tunnels showed greater sensitivity and consistency in detecting mice and hedgehogs, whereas chew cards were better suited to the monitoring of possums. Neither device was particularly effective at detecting mustelids or cats.  In Chapter 3, mammalian predators were monitored across 24 monitoring lines in autumn, 2018, and results were compiled with spring 2017 and autumn 2018 data, pre-collected in two other cities, following the same procedures. There were distinct differences in the broad-scale habitat utilisation of rats, mice, hedgehogs, with possums being the only species to show a strong preference for urban forests. Only two of the tested microhabitat variables had an influence on species distributions. Detection of rats declined with increasing distance to the coast, and the increase in human population size was related to a significant increase in hedgehogs. There was a strong seasonal difference on the influence of local trap density and the detection of mammals. The increase in trap density within 25-50m radii was significantly related to a decrease in rat and hedgehog detections. Overall, there are substantial differences between the distributions of species in an urban environment.  Trapping is one of the main methods of predator control in New Zealand, and is already widespread within urban and suburban Wellington. In Chapter 4, I compiled trap data from 22 community trapping groups operating in residential and reserve areas in Wellington City. Residential groups (“backyard trappers”) used a high proportion of Victor and various rat and mouse traps, which was strongly linked to their high number of rat and mouse catches. Groups trapping in reserves used a high proportion of DOC 200, Victor and A24 traps, however, fewer hedgehogs were caught compared to residential areas. Catches were significantly influenced by various landscape variables. An increased distance of traps to streams led to significantly higher catches of rats, conversely, proximity to streams resulted in significantly higher catches of mice and hedgehogs. Although few catches of weasels were reported, traps closer to the coast and to forest fragments caught significantly more individuals.  The research in this thesis contributes to the small body of research conducted on mammalian predators within urban environments. The findings in this thesis can assist with the current and future predator management programmes, by highlighting areas of potential significance, particularly in Wellington.</p>

Effects of habitat and introduced mammalian predators on the breeding success of Yellow-eyed Penguins Megadyptes antipodes, South Island, New Zealand

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiltrun Ratz ◽  
Brian Murphy
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Breeding Success ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Marked Effect ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Introduced Predators ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Predator Abundance ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
Predator Guild

The endemic Yellow-eyed Penguin Megadyptes antipodes is threatened by habitat loss and introduced predators on mainland New Zealand. Nine colonies in the Catlins (south-east coast of South Island) were studied to measure breeding success, penguin abundance, and predator abundance in three successive breeding seasons (1991/92 to 1993/94). Nest numbers increased in all nine colonies in the three years despite predation (probably by Stoats Mustefa erminea) being the most important cause of breeding failure. Larger colonies with higher breeding success were in small gullies with limited shrubs and bushes rather than in the most intact mature forest colonies hitherto assumed to be optimal habitat for the birds. Penguin nests were concentrated near the forest edge, but predators were not, so the predation risk was not elevated near the forest edge. Fragmentation of the original forest habitat had no observable adverse effect on breeding success. Stoats dominated the predator guild, while Ferrets M. furo and Feral Cats Felis catus were rare. Trapping to kill predators early in the season had no marked effect on subsequent predation losses, but trapping intervention when a predation outbreak occurred curtailed further chick deaths. A simple population model predicts that Yellow-eyed Penguins populations will grow provided the average total chicks loss is less than 43% per season, or at least 0.85 chick per nest fledges each year. This requires predation losses to be less than 34%.

Burrow occupancy and productivity at coastal sooty shearwater (Puffinus griseus) breeding colonies, South Island, New Zealand: can mark - recapture be used to estimate burrowscope accuracy?

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Jones ◽  
Susan Bettany ◽  
Henrik Moller ◽  
David Fletcher ◽  
Justine de Cruz
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Egg Survival ◽  
Global Pattern ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Mark Recapture ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Occupancy Rates

Breeding colonies of sooty shearwaters ('muttonbird', tïtï, Puffinus griseus) on mainland New Zealand have declined in recent years. New data on burrow occupancy and colony productivity for seven sooty shearwater breeding colonies on the coast of Otago, New Zealand for the 1996–97 and 1997–98 breeding seasons are presented and analysed as part of a five-year data set. Detection of a burrow's occupants using a fibre-optic burrowscope may underestimate absolute occupancy rates, but is still of value in the analysis of trends. Detection probabilities estimated by the novel use of mark–recapture models corresponded with those of previous studies of the technique's accuracy. Mainland declines are associated with a lack of control of introduced mammalian predators at most mainland colonies superimposed on a global pattern of decline in the species' abundance. Large numbers of recovered carcasses and an absence of burrow activity at two small mainland colonies show the decline to extinction of these colonies over the five years of collecting data. At one mainland colony with intensive predator control, survival rates and parameter variances are comparable with those found on a predator-free offshore island. All other mainland colonies showed negligible breeding success. There was a significant positive relationship between egg survival and an index of relative adult survival, with an apparent threshold below which few eggs hatch. Adult survival during the breeding season is likely to be the most important parameter in maintaining a colony's viability.

Diet of mammalian predators in braided river beds in the central South Island, New Zealand

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine C. Murphy ◽  
Rachel J. Keedwell ◽  
Kerry P. Brown ◽  
Ian Westbrooke
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Braided River ◽  
Braided Rivers ◽  
Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Mustela Furo ◽  
Haemorrhagic Disease

In New Zealand, five of the six endemic bird species that breed primarily in South Island braided river beds are classed as threatened. A major cause of decline for these species is predation by introduced mammals, and predator-trapping programs are undertaken in the braided rivers of the Mackenzie Basin to protect them. Trapping programs carried out between September 1997 and April 2001 provided the opportunity to investigate predator diet from the gut contents of 375 cats (Felis catus), 371 ferrets (Mustela furo) and 86 stoats (Mustela erminea). As a percentage frequency of occurrence of the main prey items, cat diet consisted of lagomorphs (present in 70% of guts), birds (in 47%), lizards (30%) and invertebrates (36%). Ferret diet consisted of lagomorphs (69%) and birds (28%). Stoat diet consisted of lagomorphs (50%), birds (51%), lizards (21%) and invertebrates (23%). The frequency of occurrence of birds in all three predators was higher in the spring/summer of 1997 – immediately after rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) was introduced – than in any other previous diet study on these braided rivers. This suggests that RHD did lead to increased predation pressure on birds, at least in the short term.

scholarly journals New Zealand Falcon nests suffer lower predation in agricultural habitat than in natural habitat

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 512-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
SARA M. KROSS ◽  
PAUL G. McDONALD ◽  
XIMENA J. NELSON
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Artificial Nests ◽  
Video Footage ◽  
Introduced Predators ◽  
Agricultural Habitat ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
The Hill

SummaryIntroduced mammalian predators have been implicated in the majority of avian extinctions on oceanic islands around the globe. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the decimated New Zealand avifauna, where introduced predators remain the primary threat to virtually all surviving endemic species, including the threatened New Zealand Falcon Falco novaeseelandiae. We used remote videography at falcon nests and conducted an artificial nest experiment to compare the rates of predation and responsible predators of falcons nesting in hills against those nesting in nearby commercial vineyards. Overall, 63% of artificial nests in the hills were predated, compared with 38% in vineyards. Further, artificial eggs were predated faster in the hills than those placed in vineyards. Video footage revealed that the suite of predators visiting real falcon nests was similar to those identified attacking artificial nests. However, predators differed across habitats, with nests in vineyards being predated mainly by hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus and Australasian Harriers Circus approximans, whereas nests in the hill environments were mainly attacked by stoats Mustela erminea. These results demonstrate the important implications of habitat type on predation pressure associated with introduced predators. These may well prove a fruitful avenue of management if breeding can be fostered in safer areas, as in the case of this threatened falcon.

scholarly journals The Contribution of Kurī (Polynesian Dog) to the Ecological Impacts of the Human Settlement of Aotearoa New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Greig ◽  
Nicolas J. Rawlence
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Human Impact ◽  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Human Settlement ◽  
Sea Lions ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Top Predators ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Reptilian Species

The pre-human Aotearoa New Zealand fauna was dominated by avian and reptilian species. Prior to first human settlement by East Polynesian colonists, the top predators were two giant raptorial birds. Aside from humans themselves, colonisation also resulted in the simultaneous introduction of two novel mammalian predators into this naive ecosystem, the kiore (Pacific rat) and kurī (Polynesian dog). While the ecological impacts of kiore are relatively well understood, those of kurī are difficult to assess, and as such kurī have frequently been disregarded as having any meaningful impact on New Zealand’s biodiversity. Here we use the archaeological and palaeoecological record to reassess the potential impacts of kurī on this ecosystem. We argue that far from being confined to villages, kurī could have had a significant widespread but relatively localised impact on New Zealand’s avian, reptilian and marine mammal (seals and sea lions) fauna as a novel predator of medium-sized species. In this way, kurī potentially amplified the already significant impacts of Polynesian colonists and their descendants on New Zealand’s ecosystem, prior to European arrival. As such, kurī should be included in models of human impact in addition to over-hunting, environmental modification and predation by kiore.

scholarly journals Novel Predators and Naïve Prey: How Introduced Mammals Shape Behaviours and Populations of New Zealand Lizards

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Joanne Marie Hoare
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Predator Detection ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Invasive Mammals

<p>Biotas that evolved in isolation from mammalian predators are susceptible to degradation due to recent human-mediated introductions of mammals. However, behavioural, morphological and life historical adaptations of prey to novel mammalian predators can allow prey to persist in mammal-invaded areas. Lizards in New Zealand are an ideal group for exploring the effects of invasive mammals on vertebrate prey because: (1) the ca. 80 endemic species evolved without mammals as a major influence for 80 my, (2) mammalian introductions during the past 2000 y have differentially affected lizard species, and (3) some species coexist with mammals on the mainland as well as occurring on mammal-free offshore islands. I tested three hypotheses: (1) lizard populations that have persisted on New Zealand’s mainland are no longer declining in the presence of introduced mammalian predators, (2) introduced mammals induce behavioural shifts in native lizards, and (3) lizard behavioural patterns and chemosensory predator detection abilities vary according to exposure to introduced mammals. Trends in capture rates of five sympatric native lizard populations over a 23 year (1984-2006) period demonstrate that not all lizard populations that have persisted thus far on New Zealand’s mainland have stabilised in numbers. Large, nocturnal and terrestrial species remain highly vulnerable at mainland sites. Introduced kiore, Rattus exulans, induce behavioural changes in Duvaucel’s geckos, Hoplodactylus duvaucelii. A radio telemetric study demonstrated that geckos start reverting to natural use of habitats within six months of kiore eradication. Activity patterns of common geckos, H. maculatus, and common skinks, Oligosoma nigriplantare polychroma, in laboratory trials are also correlated with their exposure to mammalian predators. Lizard activity (time spent moving) increases relative to freeze behaviour with greater exposure to mammals. However, specific antipredator behaviours are not elicited by chemical cues of either native (tuatara, Sphenodon spp) or introduced (ship rat, R. rattus) predators. Lizard populations may persist by changing their behaviours in the presence of invasive mammals. However, the continued declines of particularly vulnerable mainland lizard taxa suggest that mammal-induced behavioural shifts may only slow population declines rather than enabling long-term survival. Eradicating pest mammals from offshore islands has proven effective at restoring both populations and behaviours of native lizards, but lizard populations on the mainland also deserve conservation priority. Research directed at understanding the synergistic effects of invasive species that are causing continued lizard population declines and mammal-proof fencing to protect the most vulnerable mainland populations from extinction are both urgently required.</p>

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