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New Zealand Fairy Tern
The New Zealand fairy tern or tara-iti (''Sternula nereis davisae'') is a subspecies of the fairy tern endemic to New Zealand. It is New Zealand's rarest native breeding bird, with about 40 individuals left in the wild. It nests at four coastal locations between Whangarei and Auckland in the North Island. It is threatened by introduced predators, extreme storms and tides, beach activity, and waterfront development. Taxonomy and systematics The New Zealand fairy tern is currently considered a subspecies of the fairy tern (''Sternula nereis).'' Two other subspecies exist: ''Sternula nereis nereis'', which breeds in western and southern Australia, and ''S. n. exsul'', which breeds in New Caledonia. Fairy terns were first described from the Bass Strait in Australia in 1843. The New Zealand species was first identified by Dunedin naturalist Thomas Potts in the Rakaia riverbed in Canterbury; it was breeding in the Rakaia Gorge. He noted there were already two specimens in the co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gregory Mathews
Gregory Macalister Mathews Order of the British Empire, CBE FRSE FZS FLS (10 September 1876 – 27 March 1949) was an Australian-born amateur ornithologist who spent most of his later life in England. Life He was born in Biamble, New South Wales, Biamble in New South Wales the son of Robert H. Mathews. He was educated at The King's School, Parramatta. Mathews made his fortune in mining shares, and moved to England in 1902. In 1910 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were William Eagle Clarke, Ramsay Heatley Traquair, John Alexander Harvie-Brown and William Evans (naturalist), William Evans. Ornithology Mathews was a controversial figure in Australian ornithology. He was responsible for bringing trinomial nomenclature into local taxonomy, however he was regarded as an extreme splitter. He recognised large numbers of subspecies on scant evidence and few notes. The extinct Lord Howe Pigeon was described by Mathews in 1915, using a painting as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tauranga
Tauranga () is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by Europeans in the early 19th century, and was constituted as a city in 1963. The city lies in the north-western corner of the Bay of Plenty, on the south-eastern edge of Tauranga Harbour. The city extends over an area of , and encompasses the communities of Bethlehem, New Zealand, Bethlehem, on the south-western outskirts of the city; Greerton, on the southern outskirts of the city; Matua, west of the central city overlooking Tauranga Harbour; Maungatapu; Mount Maunganui, located north of the central city across the harbour facing the Bay of Plenty; Otūmoetai; Papamoa, Tauranga's largest suburb, located on the Bay of Plenty; Tauranga City; Tauranga South; and Welcome Bay. Tauranga is one of New Zealand's main centres for business, interna ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2006 Birthday Honours (New Zealand)
The 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours in New Zealand, celebrating the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, were appointments made by the Queen in her right as Queen of New Zealand, on the advice of the New Zealand government, to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by New Zealanders. They were announced on 5 June 2006. The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour. New Zealand Order of Merit Principal Companion (PCNZM) ;Additional * Anand Satyanand – of Wellington; governor-general designate. File:Anand Satyanand official photo.jpg, Anand Satyanand Distinguished Companion (DCNZM) * Christine Cole Catley – of North Shore City. For services to literature. * Air Marshal Bruce Reid Ferguson – of Wellington. For services to the New Zealand Defence Force, lately as Chief of Defence Force. * Sidney Moko Mead – of Wellington. For services to education and the Māori people. * Noel Stuart Robinson � ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tapora
Tapora is a locality on the Okahukura Peninsula, which is on the eastern side of the Kaipara Harbour in New Zealand. It is part of the Rodney District. Wellsford lies to the East, as does Port Albert and the Wharehine River, while Manukapua Island lies to the West. Early history Early history of Maori tells how the western shores of Okahukura once extended to the entrance of the Kaipara Harbour as sand dunes with two channels into the harbour instead of one, as it is now. This portion of land that was more or less sand dunes was known as Tapora, and was inhabited by the Maori. Great storms gradually caused the sand dunes to drift away, allowing the sea to encroach, leaving only sand bars in the harbour where there was once a whare or large temple on the original sand dunes. The name Okahukura refers to Kahukura, one of the rangatira who arrived to New Zealand aboard the ''Tākitimu'' migratory waka. For ten generations the land of Okahukura remained in the possession of Nga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Predation
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the host) and parasitoidism (which always does, eventually). It is distinct from scavenging on dead prey, though many predators also scavenge; it overlaps with herbivory, as seed predators and destructive frugivores are predators. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often concealed. When prey is detected, the predator assesses whether to attack it. This may involve ambush or pursuit predation, sometimes after stalking the prey. If the attack is successful, the predator kills the prey, removes any inedible parts like the shell or spines, and eats it. Predators are adapted and often highly specialized for hunting, with acute senses such as vision, hearing, or smell. Many predatory animals, both vertebrate and inv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fledge
Fledging is the stage in a flying animal's life between hatching or birth and becoming capable of flight. This term is most frequently applied to birds, but is also used for bats. For altricial birds, those that spend more time in vulnerable condition in the nest, the nestling and fledging stage can be the same. For precocial birds, those that develop and leave the nest quickly, a short nestling stage precedes a longer fledging stage. All birds are considered to have fledged when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. A young bird that has recently fledged but is still dependent upon parental care and feeding is called a fledgling. People often want to help fledglings, as they appear vulnerable, but it is best to leave them alone. The USA National Phenology Network defines the phenophase (or life cycle stage) of fledged young for birds as "One or more young are seen recently departed from the nest. This includes young incapable of sustained fli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Egg Incubation
Egg incubation is the process by which an egg, of oviparous (egg-laying) animals, develops an embryo within the egg, after the egg's formation and ovipositional release. Egg incubation is done under favorable environmental conditions, possibly by brooding and hatching the egg. Multiple and various factors are vital to the incubation of various species of animal. In many species of reptile for example, no fixed temperature is necessary, but the actual temperature determines the sex ratio of the offspring. In birds in contrast, the sex of offspring is genetically determined, but in many species a constant and particular temperature is necessary for successful incubation. Especially in poultry, the act of sitting on eggs to incubate them is called brooding. The action or behavioral tendency to sit on a clutch of eggs is also called broodiness, and most egg-laying breeds of poultry have had this behavior selectively bred out of them to increase production. Avian incubation A wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Herbert Guthrie-Smith
William Herbert Guthrie-Smith FRSNZ (13 March 1862 – 4 July 1940) was a New Zealand farmer, author and conservationist. Life William Herbert Smith was born in Helensburgh, Scotland in 1862. His father was an insurance broker. In 1880 he emigrated to New Zealand. In September 1882 he leased Tutira, a sheep station in central Hawke's Bay, which was his home for the rest of his life. In 1901 Guthrie-Smith married Georgina Meta Dennistoun Brown in Scotland. Their daughter, Barbara, was born in 1903. After the First World War he met Beatrix Dobie who was exhibiting her work at the Canterbury Society of Arts Gallery. They formed the connection that would lead to her providing the illustrations for his book ''Tutira: The Story of a New Zealand Sheep Station''. His books and photography, especially ''Tutira: The Story of a New Zealand Sheep Station'', graphically document the impacts of human activity on New Zealand's unique environment. ''Tutira: The Story of a New Zealand Sheep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scrape Nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American robin or Eurasian blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the Montezuma oropendola or the village weaver—that is too restrictive a definition. For some species, a nest is simply a shallow depression made in sand; for others, it is the knot-hole left by a broken branch, a burrow dug into the ground, a chamber drilled into a tree, an enormous rotting pile of vegetation and earth, a shelf made of dried saliva or a mud dome with an entrance tunnel. The smallest bird nests are those of some hummingbirds, tiny cups which can be a mere across and high. At the other extreme, some nest mounds built by the dusky scrubfowl measure more than in diameter and stand nearly tall. The study of birds' nests is known as ''caliology''. Not all bird species build ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Zealand Defence Force
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF; mi, Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa, "Line of Defence of New Zealand") are the armed forces of New Zealand. The NZDF is responsible for the protection of the national security of New Zealand and her realm, promoting its interests, safeguarding peace and security, as well as supporting peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. It consists of three services: the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), the New Zealand Army and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), as well as 'tri-service' components. The NZDF has a strength of 15,191 made up of 9,215 regular force personnel, 3,030 reserve force personnel and 2,946 civilian members. It is supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MOD) and is commanded by the Chief of Defence Force (CDF). The principal roles and tasks expected of the NZDF is to provide a combat capable force to defend New Zealand’s sovereign territory, and protect critical lines of communication. To provide civil defence supp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mangawhai
Mangawhai is a locality in Northland, New Zealand around the Mangawhai Harbour. The township of Mangawhai is at the south west extent of the harbour, and the township of Mangawhai Heads is 5 km north east. Kaiwaka is 13 km south west, and Waipu is 20 km north west of Mangawhai Heads. In 2018 a proposal was made to develop a new town between Mangawhai and Mangawhai Heads, called Mangawhai Central, to accommodate the rapid increase of population expected in the area and overcome the space limitations of the existing commercial areas. Mangawhai Museum, opened in 2014, features displays on the area's local history. History Mangawhai is the traditional Māori name for the area, referring to the stingrays which live in the harbour. In the early and mid 19th century, Mangawhai Harbour was one of the main access points for the Kaipara. Ngāti Whātua used to drag waka from Kaiwaka to Mangawhai. A Ngā Puhi war party landed at Mangawhai in February 1825 and moved ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waipu, New Zealand
Waipu ( mi, Waipū) is a small town established in the rohe of the Patuharakeke hapū, in Te Tai Tokerau the Northland Region of New Zealand. The town is celebrated for its settlement by Nova Scotians and other settlers of Scottish heritage. A highlight of the town's calendar is the annual Highland Games held at New Year. Near the town are the Waipu Caves, which contain a significant population of glow worms. History The tangata whenua of Waipū, Patuharakeke are the descendants of Te Toru (also known as Urekuri), Te Taotahi and Te Pirihi Whakaariki. It is through the descendants of Te Toru that Patuharakeke are closely related to iwi including Ngapuhi, Ngati Wai, Ngati Whatua and Te Uri o Hau. Through a series of Crown breaches, outlined in the Patuharakeke Statement of Claim provided in support of the Waitangi Tribunal Cases 745 and 1348, Patuharakeke were alienated from their lands which were confiscated, cleared and on-sold by the crown for colonial settlement. Waipu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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