Systematic affinities of two enigmatic New Zealand passerines of high conservation priority, the hihi or stitchbird Notiomystis cincta and the kokako Callaeas cinerea

Ewen, John G.; Flux, Ian; Ericson, Per G. P.

doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.01.026

Cited by 26 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…To the best of our knowledge, our measures are the first published example of the reflectance spectra of the mouth of a non‐European species, and show that Hihi are no different. This is of particular interest not only because of their spatial distance from the species previously investigated, but because they are phylogenetically distant from these northern hemisphere species (Ewen, Flux & Ericson 2006a; Driskell et al. 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spectral mouth colour of nestlings changes with carotenoid availability

et al. 2008

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Summary 1.Despite the proliferation of studies on the role of nestling mouth colour in parent-offspring communication, there has been very little work regarding the proximate mechanism for mouth pigmentation. 2. Carotenoids, a class of phytochemicals important for immune function and gained by birds only through their diet, also serve as pigments for yellow-orange colours. Carotenoids have been shown to be responsible for the colouration of adult plumage and integuments (e.g. bills, legs, combs of adults of several species), but their role in colouring nestling gapes, and the surrounding fleshy rictal flanges, remains hypothetical. 3. Here, we present direct evidence for the importance of carotenoid availability in determining nestling mouth colouration. In field experiments on Hihi ( Notiomystis cincta ), a passerine endemic to New Zealand, we experimentally supplemented carotenoids directly to nestlings, and indirectly by provisioning parents, and measured the effect on nestling mouth colouration with spectrometer. 4. We found that increased carotenoid availability in the diet enhanced circulating blood plasma carotenoid concentrations, and that this in turn influenced mouth palate and rictal flange colouration. High carotenoid availability increased saturation of the yellow wavelengths of the spectrum reflected by both the palate and flanges, but reduced the reflectance of ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths of the rictal flanges. 5. We suggest that carotenoids influence the appearance of nestling gapes both by increasing pigmentation and as a filter of UV-reflecting structures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spectral mouth colour of nestlings changes with carotenoid availability

et al. 2008

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“…2004) around 39–34 Ma (Shepherd & Lambert 2007). The Stitchbird (Hihi) Notiomystis cincta , formerly placed with the honeyeaters (Meliphagidae), is sister to the NZ wattlebirds (Ewen et al. 2006, Driskell et al.…”

Section: Molecular Phylogeny and The New Zealand Avifaunamentioning

confidence: 99%

Vicars, tramps and assembly of the New Zealand avifauna: a review of molecular phylogenetic evidence

Trewick

Gibb

2010

Ibis

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The avifauna of New Zealand is taxonomically and ecologically distinctive, as is typical of island biotas. However, the potential for an old geological age of New Zealand has encouraged a popular notion of a ‘Moa’s ark’ based on the idea that much of the fauna was isolated when Zealandia broke from Gondwana c. 83 million years ago. Molecular phylogenetics has proved useful for exploring the relative importance of different biogeographical processes, revealing for example that ‘tramp’ species (widely dispersing taxa) have arrived in New Zealand even in the last few hundred years, and that some avian taxa have close phylogenetic relatives overseas (predominantly Australian), indicating their recent ancestors were tramps, too. Distinctive taxa with deep phylogenetic ancestry might be ‘vicars’ that owe their presence to vicariance, but lack of close morphological, taxonomic and phylogenetic affinity provides only tenuous evidence for this. Disproving the alternative possibility that apparent vicars are descended from tramps that dispersed in earlier times remains challenging, but molecular analyses have yielded startling insights. Among New Zealand’s iconic taxa, the world’s largest eagle shared a Pleistocene ancestor with a small Australian eagle, and giant, flightless moa are phylogenetic sisters of the much smaller, flying tinamous of South America. The New Zealand avifauna is neither isolated nor stable, but demonstrative of prolonged and ongoing colonization, speciation and extinction.

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“…Recent phylogenetic studies of the endangered hihi (stitchbird Notiomystis cincta) placed this passerine into a newly formed endemic family, the Notiomystidae (Driskell et al 2007;Ewen et al 2006). Formerly widespread across the North Island and some adjacent offshore islands, hihi disappeared from the mainland following European colonisation (Oliver 1955).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Causes of mortality in a nestling population of free-living hihi (stitchbird—Notiomystis cincta)

Rippon

Alley

Castro

2011

New Zealand Journal of Zoology

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The hihi is an endangered New Zealand species and its survival depends on the health of translocated populations. Low nestling survival was detected at ZealandiaÁKarori Sanctuary (KS) during the 2008Á09 breeding season with 34% of eggs surviving to fledge. Samples obtained from live and dead hihi nestlings showed that several disease syndromes contributed to nestling deaths. Cause of death was diagnosed by necropsy and histopathology for 25 nestlings. Mortality was highest (60%) in nestlings 57 days old and was associated with seasonally low minimum daily temperatures (B118C). Deaths in this age group were most commonly attributed to poor pulmonary aeration and starvation. Ventriculitis was associated with mortality in eight 6Á19-day-old nestlings with no indication that weather was implicated. The remaining deaths were from a variety of unrelated events or causes. Candida albicans, Aspergillus sp. and an unidentified haemoparasite were found among the nestling population. There was no evidence of coccidia or other intestinal parasite infections. In contrast to translocated populations at other sites, nesting material recovered from nest boxes contained low densities of tropical fowl mites (Ornithonyssus bursa). To improve survival for nestlings up to 7 days old, extra food provisioning and nest box weather protection during inclement weather is suggested.

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Systematic affinities of two enigmatic New Zealand passerines of high conservation priority, the hihi or stitchbird Notiomystis cincta and the kokako Callaeas cinerea

Cited by 26 publications

References 15 publications

Spectral mouth colour of nestlings changes with carotenoid availability

Spectral mouth colour of nestlings changes with carotenoid availability

Vicars, tramps and assembly of the New Zealand avifauna: a review of molecular phylogenetic evidence

Causes of mortality in a nestling population of free-living hihi (stitchbird—Notiomystis cincta)

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