NZ Field Guide (1 Viewer)

[killik]

Hi all. I'm planning a two week trip to New Zealand at the end of February. I was quite surprised to see what appears to be a dearth of up to date field guides.
Am I missing something and if so, what would be recommendations be for the best field guide for me to take along on my trip?

Thanks

Andrew

 

[BenjiS]

Similar thread - New Zealand bird guide recommendation
not sure if its helpful or not

 

[Maroon Jay]

I used Birds of New Zealand by Fitter and Merton. A good Princeton book. Published in 2011. I don't know if there is a newer edition. Has photos of birds, not drawings. With more than one photo of most birds. Also, there is the Hand Guide to the Birds of New Zealand by Robertson and Heather. This is also a good book with drawings but is older, published in 2005.

 

[temmie]

FWIW, I have the collins field guide of the birds of New Zealand, Hawaii, Central and West Pacific.
Maybe a bit too much and I only bought it for reference / to cover a gap in my list of areas where I didn't have a field guide of.
I can't tell you if it's good or better than other offerings, just that it exists

 

[Andy Hurley]

I have one called A Field Guide to New Zealand Birds, by Geoff Moon ISBN 0-7900-0240-X. Published in 1992. With photos for each species, no drawings. It is a hardback, but small enough for a parka pocket or car door junk holder. Some of the names are local names, rather than the ones the larger authorities use, but that's easy to change with our BirdForum Opus.

It is best to get your field guide before you go there, as I only found one and bought it in the whole of NZ. It was for sale in a bookshop in Christchurch, as they were closing up shop. That was in 2007, iirc, so things may have changed since then.

Enough your trip!

 

[pbjosh]

The Heather / Robertson / Onley guide was updated in 2015. Seems perfectly up to date to me… not a lot changing quickly in that part of the world.

 

[njlarsen]

Could especially those of you who have a newer field guide tell me, what is the current name for Charadrius obscurus = Anarhynchus obscurus? I am aware of a bunch of possibilities but would like to know which one is used locally, and assume field guides would be a good gauge of that? (Red-breasted Plover with alternative names of New Zealand Dotterel; Red-breasted Dotterel; New Zealand Plover are the ones I know)

thanks
Niels

 

[pbjosh]

Don’t have the book handy but I’m pretty sure it’s New Zealand Dotterel in my book.

It is NZ Dotterel in an app I have.

 

[njlarsen]

Don’t have the book handy but I’m pretty sure it’s New Zealand Dotterel in my book.

It is NZ Dotterel in an app I have.

Great, thanks!
Niels

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

The tour I took in February with Wrybill Tours listed it as New Zealand Dotterel on their checklist.

And the new Field Guide by Scofield and Stephenson also uses that name.

 

[Andy Hurley]

NZ Dotterel is the name I learned on the Coramandel [spelling?] in 2007. It was in dire straits back then and they were being protected. Locally just 6 breeding pairs left.

 

[Andy Adcock]

According to the official checklist, fourth edition, Charadrius obscurus is split as Northern C.o aquilonius and Southern C.o obscurus, the latter is said to now only breed on Stewart Island.

 

[njlarsen]

Thank you all, I had seen New Zealand Dotterel on a number of websites, and now have confirmation that the field guides use that as well.
Niels