The New Zealand merganser (Mergus australis), also known as Auckland merganser or Auckland Islands merganser, was a typical merganser which is now extinct.
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.[3] The female was slightly smaller with a shorter crest.
Illustration from 1909Drawing of the head
History
This bird's Māori name was miuweka.[2] It 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 extinct.[4]
Subsequent fossil discoveries suggest that this merganser was previously resident in the South Island, and on Stewart Island/Rakiura in New Zealand. Fossils of a subspecies or closely related species have also been found on the Chatham Islands. There exists a short remark mentioning "a merganser" found on Campbell Island,[5] but this may just as well refer to the semi-marine Campbell teal which is otherwise missing in McCormick's notes: he only mentions the Pacific black duck ("a New Zealand species of duck").[6]
References
^BirdLife International (2016). "Mergus australis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22680496A92864737. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680496A92864737.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
^ ab"Mergus australis. NZTCS". nztcs.org.nz. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
^Tennyson, Alan J. D. (2006). Extinct birds of New Zealand. Paul Martinson. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Papa Press. p. 54. ISBN978-0-909010-21-8. OCLC 80016906.
^Williams, G. R. & Weller, M. W.. (1974): Unsuccessful search for the Auckland Islands Merganser (Mergus australis). Notornis21(3): 246–249.
^McCormick, Robert (1842): A sketch of the Antarctic regions, embracing a few passing remarks, geographical and ornithological. Tasmanian Journal of Natural Sciences1(4): 241–247. PDF fulltext
^* Southern Merganser. Mergus australis. by Paul Martinson. Artwork produced for the book Extinct Birds of New Zealand, by Alan Tennyson, Te Papa Press, Wellington, 2006
zealand, merganser, mergus, australis, also, known, auckland, merganser, auckland, islands, merganser, typical, merganser, which, extinct, temporal, range, late, holocenestuffed, specimen, from, 1902conservation, statusextinct, 1902, iucn, extinct, 1902, scien. The New Zealand merganser Mergus australis also known as Auckland merganser or Auckland Islands merganser was a typical merganser which is now extinct New Zealand merganserTemporal range Late HoloceneStuffed specimen from 1902Conservation statusExtinct c 1902 IUCN 3 1 1 Extinct c 1902 NZ TCS 2 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder AnseriformesFamily AnatidaeGenus MergusSpecies M australisBinomial name Mergus australisHombron amp Jacquinot 1841Description EditThis 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 3 The female was slightly smaller with a shorter crest Illustration from 1909 Drawing of the headHistory EditThis bird s Maori name was miuweka 2 It 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 extinct 4 Subsequent fossil discoveries suggest that this merganser was previously resident in the South Island and on Stewart Island Rakiura in New Zealand Fossils of a subspecies or closely related species have also been found on the Chatham Islands There exists a short remark mentioning a merganser found on Campbell Island 5 but this may just as well refer to the semi marine Campbell teal which is otherwise missing in McCormick s notes he only mentions the Pacific black duck a New Zealand species of duck 6 References Edit BirdLife International 2016 Mergus australis IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 e T22680496A92864737 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2016 3 RLTS T22680496A92864737 en Retrieved 11 November 2021 a b Mergus australis NZTCS nztcs org nz Retrieved 3 April 2023 Tennyson Alan J D 2006 Extinct birds of New Zealand Paul Martinson Wellington N Z Te Papa Press p 54 ISBN 978 0 909010 21 8 OCLC 80016906 Williams G R amp Weller M W 1974 Unsuccessful search for the Auckland Islands Merganser Mergus australis Notornis 21 3 246 249 PDF fulltext McCormick Robert 1842 A sketch of the Antarctic regions embracing a few passing remarks geographical and ornithological Tasmanian Journal of Natural Sciences 1 4 241 247 PDF fulltext Southern Merganser Mergus australis by Paul Martinson Artwork produced for the book Extinct Birds of New Zealand by Alan Tennyson Te Papa Press Wellington 2006 Portals Birds New Zealand Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title New Zealand merganser amp oldid 1153916194, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
