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Lake Poukawa
Lake Poukawa is a small shallow hardwater lake in the Hawke's Bay Region, North Island, New Zealand. It is located about 20 km south-west of Hastings, New Zealand, close to the settlement of Te Hauke. It is the largest lake lying within a peatland in the active tectonic Poukawa depression (or Poukawa Basin), between the Raukawa Range and Kaokaoroa Range of central Hawke's Bay. Its maximal depth is less than one metre and its diameter is ca. 1.5 km. It was deeper in the past (about 2.5 metre) but it was artificially drained after the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. Lake Poukawa became a well-known paleontological site in 1956 when paleontologist Russell Price began with his excavations in the lacustrine deposits. Lake Poukawa had a species rich Pleistocene/Holocene waterfowl fauna. More than 13,400 anatid bones were unearthed at this site since 1956. Extinct birds found at Lake Poukawa include Biziura delautouri, Oxyura vantetsi, Mergus australis, Chenonetta finschi, Pachyo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest island. The world's 28th-most-populous island, Te Ika-a-Māui has a population of accounting for approximately % of the total residents of New Zealand. Twelve main urban areas (half of them officially cities) are in the North Island. From north to south, they are Whangārei, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Napier, Hastings, Whanganui, Palmerston North, and New Zealand's capital city Wellington, which is located at the south-west tip of the island. Naming and usage Although the island has been known as the North Island for many years, in 2009 the New Zealand Geographic Board found that, along with the South Island, the North Island had no official name. After a public consultation, the board offi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mergus Australis
The New Zealand merganser (''Mergus australis''), also known as Auckland merganser or Auckland Islands merganser, was a typical merganser which is now extinct. Description This duck was similar in size to the red-breasted merganser (''Mergus serrator''). The adult male had a dark reddish-brown head, crest and neck, with bluish black mantle and tail and slate grey wings. The female was slightly smaller with a shorter crest. History This bird was first collected when a French expedition led by the explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville on the ships ''L'Astrolabe'' and ''La Zelee'' visited the Auckland Islands in 1840. Its decline was caused by a combination of hunting and predation by introduced mammals. The bird was not flightless, but rather hard to flush; it preferred to hide between rocks when pursued. The last sighting was of a pair shot on January 9, 1902. It was not found in a 1909 search, and a thorough 1972/1973 exploration of possible habitat concluded that it was long ext ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hastings District
Hastings is a town in the United Kingdom, most famous for the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Hastings may also refer to: Places Australia * Hastings, Tasmania, a locality * Hastings, Victoria, Australia ** Electoral district of Hastings, Victoria, Australia ** Shire of Hastings, a former local government area before the Victoria's 1994 amalgamations * Hastings River * Port Macquarie-Hastings Council * Hastings (Neutral Bay), a heritage listed building Canada * Hastings (electoral district), in Ontario * Hastings, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia * Hastings, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia * Hastings, Ontario, a village * Hastings County, Ontario * Port Hastings, Nova Scotia * Hastings Park, municipal park located in the northeast sector of Vancouver, British Columbia United States * Hastings, Florida, a town * Hastings, Indiana, an unincorporated place * Hastings, Iowa, a city * Hastings, Michigan, a city * Hastings Charter Township, Michigan * Hastings, Minnesota, a city, count ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clive River
The Clive River is a river in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. At long, it is the shortest of the main rivers flowing through the Heretaunga Plains. The Clive River occupies the former course of the Ngaruroro River, which in 1867 changed flow to its present course during major flooding. Getting most of its drainage from irrigation ditches around the Heretaunga Plains, the river starts from the west of Flaxmere (just south of the Ngaruroro River), where it flows south-east, west of Hastings, New Zealand, Hastings before making a sharp, right angle turn towards Havelock North. The river then flows north-east past Havelock North, where it is known as the Karamu Stream, and again flowing past Hastings, this time to the east of Hastings. The river finally turns in an east direction there it flows past the town of Clive, New Zealand, Clive and into the Pacific Ocean. Names The bed of the river is a remnant of the original course of the Ngaruroro River before flood control diversion works wer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pekapeka Wetland
Pekapeka Wetland is a wetland reserve located 12 kilometres by road south of Hastings in the Poukawa Basin of Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. The Hawke's Bay Regional Council began restoring the wetland in the late 1990s with the removal of willows and the construction of a perimeter fence. The Council initially owned about half of the wetland, but this has been increased to 90%. It is rated as the second most ecologically valuable wetland in Hawke's Bay. The Poukawa Stream, which drains Lake Poukawa Lake Poukawa is a small shallow hardwater lake in the Hawke's Bay Region, North Island, New Zealand. It is located about 20 km south-west of Hastings, New Zealand, close to the settlement of Te Hauke. It is the largest lake lying within a ... in the south-west, runs through the Pekapeka Wetland. References {{Coord, -39.620547, 176.739448, region:NZ, display=title Hastings District Protected areas of the Hawke's Bay Region Wetlands of New Zealand Nature reserves in New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cnemiornis Gracilis
The New Zealand goose is the common name given to the extinct genus ''Cnemiornis'' of the family Anatidae, subfamily Anserinae. The genus, endemic to New Zealand, consisted of two species: the North Island goose, ''C. gracilis'' and the South Island goose ''C. calcitrans''. This goose was as large as some small moa. The North Island species had in body mass while the South Island species reached , far surpassing Canada and Cape barren geese. They were flightless, with much-reduced webbing on the feet, an adaptation for terrestrial dwelling similar to that of the nene of Hawaii. They were never particularly common, and like many other large New Zealand endemic species they were subject to hunting pressures from the settling Polynesians, as well as predation upon their eggs and hatchlings by kiore/Polynesian rat (which accompanied the settlers) and the settlers' dogs, and were extinct before the arrival of European settlers. They are usually considered most closely related to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malacorhynchus Scarletti
Scarlett's duck (''Malacorhynchus scarletti'') is an extinct duck species from New Zealand which was closely related to the Australian pink-eared duck (''Malacorhynchus membranaceus''). The scientific name commemorates the late New Zealand ornithologist and palaeontologist Ron Scarlett who discovered the holotype in 1941. However, previously undescribed bones of the species found in 1903 were rediscovered in the Otago Museum in 1998. At least 32 fossil remains from deposits in Pyramid Valley, at Ngapara in the South Island, and at Lake Poukawa in the North Island are in museum collections. At 800 g Scarlett's duck was twice as heavy as the pink-eared duck. Given the relatively few fossil remains found, it is assumed that Scarlett's duck was a largely nomadic and territorial bird. The pink-eared duck by comparison is gregarious and can form flocks of thousands. Like its Australian relative, Scarlett's duck had a wide, flattened bill, which has led to an assumption that it was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fulica Prisca
The New Zealand coot (''Fulica prisca'') is an extinct bird in the rail family, Rallidae, that was endemic to New Zealand. It was described in 1893 by New Zealand naturalist, ethnologist and museum director Augustus Hamilton, from material he had collected the previous year at Castle Rocks on the Ōreti River in Southland. The Latin specific epithet ''prisca'' means "old", referring to its subfossil occurrence. Remains have subsequently been found at several sites in both North and South Islands. Taxonomy The New Zealand coot and the related Chatham coot (''F. chathamensis'') are classified as coots on the basis of anatomical features of the pelvis and humerus typical of the genus. There has been disagreement regarding the relationship between the two species. They have variously been considered full species, subspecies or lacking in taxonomic distinction. At one point a new genus, ''Nesophalaris'', was proposed for them. A review by Trevor Worthy and Richard Holdaway in 2002 rec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallinula Hodgenorum
Hodgens' waterhen (''Tribonyx hodgenorum'') is an extinct rail species from New Zealand. Its name commemorates the Hodgen brothers who were owners of the Pyramid Valley swamp where the holotype was discovered. It reached a weight of 280 g and its wings were so reduced that it was unable to fly. It occupied a wide range of habitats, including open forest and grassland along riverbanks. History ''Tribonyx hodgenorum'' was closely related to the black-tailed native-hen ('' Tribonyx ventralis'') and the Tasmanian native-hen ('' Tribonyx mortierii''). The species was first described by Ron Scarlett as ''Rallus hodgeni'' in 1955. Storrs L. Olson transferred it into the genus '' Gallinula'' in 1975 and changed its specific epithet to ''hodgenorum'' in 1986. It is only known from subfossil material of which the youngest Māori midden record is from the 18th century. Hundreds of bones have been unearthed at Pyramid Valley in the South Island, at Lake Poukawa in the North Island, and severa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ixobrychus Novaezelandiae
The New Zealand bittern (''Ixobrychus novaezelandiae'') is an extinct and enigmatic species of heron in the family Ardeidae. It was endemic to New Zealand and was last recorded alive in the 1890s. Common names for this species include New Zealand little bittern, spotted heron, and ''kaoriki'' (Māori). The scientific species name also has numerous junior synonyms. Taxonomy The species has sometimes been regarded as a subspecies of little bittern (''Ixobrychus minutus''), or conspecific with the black-backed bittern (''Ixobrychus dubius'') of Australia and New Guinea, though it was first described by Alexander Callender Purdie in 1871 as ''Ardeola novaezelandiae''. In 1980, New Zealand palaeontologist Peter L. Horn found subfossil bones of a bittern from Lake Poukawa, which he named ''Dupetor flavicollis''. In 1991, Philip Millener identified Horn's material as remains of the New Zealand bittern. Description Although a small bittern, the species was larger (length about 14.75& ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pachyornis Geranoides
Mantell's moa (''Pachyornis geranoides'') also known as Mappin's moa is an extinct species of moa from the North Island of New Zealand. Its habitat was the lowlands (shrublands, grasslands, dunelands, and forests). The moa were ratites, flightless birds with a sternum without a keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br .... They also have a distinctive palate. The origin of the ratites is becoming clearer as it is now believed that early ancestors of these birds were able to fly and flew to the southern areas that they have been found in.Davies, S. J. J. F. (2003) Footnotes References * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q3734974 Extinct flightless birds Extinct birds of New Zealand Ratites Bird extinctions since 1500 Holocene extinctions Late Quaternary prehistoric bir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chenonetta Finschi
Finsch's duck (''Chenonetta finschi'') was a large terrestrial species of duck formerly endemic to New Zealand. The species was possibly once the most common duck in New Zealand, a supposition based on the frequency of its fossils in bone deposits. Taxonomy The species was originally considered to be in its own genus, ''Euryanas'', but is now known to be closely related to the maned duck and recently derived from that species. Description The Finsch's duck was much larger than the maned duck, probably weighing twice as much (around ) and having larger legs. The wings were much reduced however, and it seems that flight was lost relatively quickly after the species arrived in New Zealand. Behaviour and ecology Little is known about the biology of the species, but its remains have been found widely in New Zealand and it does not seem to have been tied to water like many other duck species. This species was present in forests, shrublands and temperate grasslands. It is likely ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
