|
Auckland Snipe
The Auckland snipe (''Coenocorypha aucklandica aucklandica''), also known as the Auckland Island snipe, is a small bird in the sandpiper family. It is the isolated nominate subspecies of the subantarctic snipe that is endemic to the Auckland Islands, a subantarctic island group south of New Zealand in the Southern Ocean. Taxonomy and etymology The Auckland snipe was first collected in 1840 both by Charles Wilkes’ United States Exploring Expedition, and James Ross’ ''Erebus'' and ''Terror'' Antarctic expedition, with the British specimens forming the basis for George Gray's 1844 description. The species name, and hence the subspecific epithet, refer to the type locality. Description The subspecies is generally similar to others in the genus, being a small, brown, cryptically patterned snipe with a long bill, short neck, tail and legs, and short, rounded wings. Females are slightly larger than males, weighing about 107 g compared with the males’ 82–94 g. Distribution ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Robert Gray
George Robert Gray (8 July 1808 – 6 May 1872) was an English zoology, zoologist and author, and head of the Ornithology, ornithological section of the British Museum, now the Natural History Museum, London, Natural History Museum, London for forty-one years. He was the younger brother of the zoologist John Edward Gray and the son of the botanist Samuel Frederick Gray. George Gray's most important publication was his ''Genera of Birds'' (1844–49), illustrated by David William Mitchell and Joseph Wolf, which included 46,000 references. Biography He was bornon 8 July 1808 in Little Chelsea, London, to Samuel Frederick Gray, naturalist and pharmacologist, and Elizabeth (née Forfeit), his wife. He was educated at Merchant Taylor's School. Gray started at the British Museum as Assistant Keeper of the Zoology Branch in 1831. He began by cataloguing insects, and published an ''Entomology of Australia'' (1833) and contributed the entomogical section to an English edition of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Snipe
A snipe is any of about 26 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill, eyes placed high on the head, and cryptic/ camouflaging plumage. ''Gallinago'' snipe have a nearly worldwide distribution, the '' Lymnocryptes'' snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the ''Coenocorypha'' snipe is found only in the outlying islands of New Zealand. The four species of painted snipe are not closely related to the typical snipe, and are placed in their own family, the Rostratulidae. Behaviour Snipe search for invertebrates in the mud with a " sewing-machine" action of their long bills. The sensitivity of the bill is caused by filaments belonging to the fifth pair of nerves, which run almost to the tip and open immediately under the soft cuticle in a series of cells; a similar adaptation is found in sandpipers; this adaptation gives this portion of the surface of the premaxillaries a honeycomb-like appearance: wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hakawai (mythology)
Hakawai, also Hōkioi in the North Island, was to the New Zealand Māori people, a mythology, mythological bird that was sometimes heard but not usually seen. It is now associated with the nocturnal aerial displays made by ''Coenocorypha'' snipe. Mythology In Māori mythology the Hakawai was one of eleven Tapu (Polynesian culture), tapu (sacred) birds of Raka-maomao, a god of wind. The Hakawai lived in the heavens and only descended to the earth at night. It was considered to be a gigantic bird of prey and was described (as the Hōkioi) by a Ngāti Apa chief, to the Governor of New Zealand Sir George Grey, as: Hearing the Hakawai was considered to be a bad omen, traditionally presaging war. Ornithology, Ornithologists in New Zealand have wondered whether the myth related to a real bird, whether extinct or still living, with some claiming that the myth was inspired by the now extinct Haast's eagle (''Hieraaetus moorei''). Although mention of the Hakawai occurred in Māori ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Herbfield
Herbfields are plant communities dominated by herbaceous plants, especially forbs and grasses. They are found where climatic conditions do not allow large woody plants to grow, such as in subantarctic and alpine tundra environments. Herbfield is defined in New South Wales (Australia) government legislation as native vegetation that predominantly does not contain an over-storey or a mid-storey and where ground cover is dominated by non-grass species. The New Zealand Department of Conservation The Department of Conservation (DOC; Māori language, Māori: ''Te Papa Atawhai'') is the public service department of New Zealand charged with the conservation of New Zealand's natural and historical heritage. An advisory body, the New Zealand ... has described herbfield vegetation as that in which the cover of herbs in the canopy is 20–100%, and in which herb cover is greater than that of any other growth form, or of bare ground.Lux et al. (2009). Various kinds of herbfield include ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It may be the mature vegetation type in a particular region and remain stable over time, or it may be a transitional community that occurs temporarily as the result of a disturbance, such as fire. A stable state may be maintained by regular natural disturbance such as fire or browsing (predation), browsing. Shrubland may be unsuitable for human habitation because of the danger of fire. The term was coined in 1903. Shrubland species generally show a wide range of adaptations to fire, such as heavy seed production, lignotubers, and fire-induced germination. Botanical structural form In botany and ecology a shrub is defined as a much-branched woody plant less than 8 m high, usually with many plant stem, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Forest
A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines a forest as, "Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a Canopy (biology), canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds ''in situ''. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban use." Using this definition, ''Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA), Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020'' found that forests covered , or approximately 31 percent of the world's land area in 2020. Forests are the largest Terrestrial ecosystem, terrestrial ecosystems of Earth by area, and are found around the globe. 45 percent of forest land is in the Tropical forest, trop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olearia
''Olearia'', most commonly known as daisy-bush, is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Asteraceae, the largest of the flowering plant families in the world. Olearia are found in Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand. The genus includes herbaceous plants, shrubs and small trees. The latter are unusual among the Asteraceae and are called tree daisies in New Zealand. All bear the familiar daisy-like composite flowerheads in white, pink, mauve or purple. Description Plants in the genus ''Olearia'' are shrubs of varying sizes, characterised by a composite flower head arrangement with single-row ray florets enclosed by small overlapping bracts arranged in rows. The flower petals are more or less equal in length. The centre of the bi-sexual floret is disc shaped and may be white, yellowish or purplish, generally with 5 lobes. Flower heads may be single or clusters in leaf axils or at the apex of branchlets. Leaves may be smooth, glandular or with a sticky secretion. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceous plant, herbs. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica and are found in most ecoregions of the Earth. Furthermore, grasslands are one of the largest biomes on Earth and dominate the landscape worldwide. There are different types of grasslands: natural grasslands, semi-natural grasslands, and agricultural grasslands. They cover 31–69% of the Earth's land area. Definitions Included among the variety of definitions for grasslands are: * "...any plant community, including harvested forages, in which grasses and/or legumes make up the dominant vegetation." * "...terrestrial ecosystems dominated by herbaceous and shrub vegetation, and maintained by fire, grazing, drought and/or freezing temperatures." (Pilot Assessm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tussock (grass)
Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennial plants, most species live more than one season. Tussock grasses are often found as forage in pastures and ornamental grasses in gardens. Many species have long roots that may reach or more into the soil, which can aid slope stabilization, erosion control, and Characterisation of pore space in soil, soil porosity for precipitation absorption. Also, their roots can reach moisture more deeply than other grasses and annual plants during seasonal or climatic droughts. The plants provide habitat and food for insects (including Lepidoptera), birds, small animals and larger herbivores, and support beneficial soil mycorrhiza. The leaves supply material, such as for basket weaving, for indigenous peoples and contemporary artists. Tussock and bun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rose Island, New Zealand
Rose Island is an uninhabited island and, with an area of 121 hectares, the fifth largest of the Auckland Islands group, a subantarctic chain that forms part of the New Zealand Outlying Islands. It is located in the northeast of the group, in the mouth of Port Ross, Auckland Island and south west of the larger Enderby Island, New Zealand, Enderby Island. It was stocked with rabbits and provided with a castaway depot, boatshed for the relief of castaways during the nineteenth century. The rabbits have since been eradicated by the Department of Conservation (New Zealand), Department of Conservation, and provides a secure home for a population of Auckland Islands teal. The vegetation on Rose contains Metrosideros, rata, and while much original vegetation has been destroyed, it is less modified than much of the Auckland Islands. See also * Composite Antarctic Gazetteer * Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, SCAR * Territorial claims in Antarctica * New Zealand Subantarctic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ewing Island, New Zealand
Ewing Island is an uninhabited island, part of the Auckland Islands group, a subantarctic chain that forms part of the New Zealand outlying islands. It lies in the north-east of the group, close to the mouth of Port Ross, immediately to the south of the larger Enderby Island and off the north-eastern tip of the main Auckland Island. Important Bird Area The island is part of the Auckland Island group Important Bird Area (IBA), identified as such by BirdLife International because of the significance of the group as a breeding site for several species of seabirds, as well as the endemic Auckland shag, Auckland teal, Auckland rail and Auckland snipe.BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Auckland Islands. Downloaded from on 23 January 2012. Both red-crowned parakeets and yellow-crowned parakeets live on Ewing Island, making this the second southernmost location of living parrots. See also * Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research * New Zealand sub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Disappointment Island
Disappointment Island is one of seven uninhabited islands in the Auckland Islands archipelago, in New Zealand. It is south of the country's main South Island and from the northwest end of Auckland Island. It is home to a large colony of white-capped albatrosses: about 65,000 pairs – nearly the entire world's population – nest there. Also on the island is the Auckland rail, endemic to the archipelago; once thought to be extinct, it was rediscovered in 1966. The island is known for being one of the least-modified subantarctic islands in New Zealand. History On 7 March 1907, the ''Dundonald'', a steel, four-masted barque, sank after running ashore on the west side of Disappointment Island. Twelve men drowned and seventeen men made it ashore. Two of the men died, and fifteen survivors waited seven months for rescue. They survived by eating mainly white-capped albatrosses (mollymawks), seals, and roots of the plant '' Azorella polaris.'' They built coracles out of veroni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
