blurbs

You "mast" listen to this episode!

Follow me on instagram: matt.rossella

Support the show: patreon.com/blurbs439

References:

Bogdziewicz, M., Zwolak, R., & Crone, E. E. (2016). How do vertebrates respond to mast seeding?. Oikos, 125(3), 300-307.

Elliott, G., & Kemp, J. (2016). Large‐scale pest control in New Zealand beech forests. Ecological Management & Restoration, 17(3), 200-209.

Kelly, D., Koenig, W. D., & Liebhold, A. M. (2008). An intercontinental comparison of the dynamic behavior of mast seeding communities. Population Ecology, 50(4), 329-342.

O'Donnell, C. F., & Hoare, J. M. (2012). Quantifying the benefits of long-term integrated pest control for forest bird populations in a New Zealand temperate rainforest. New Zealand Journal of Ecology, 131-140.

Pearse, I. S., Wion, A. P., Gonzalez, A. D., & Pesendorfer, M. B. (2021). Understanding mast seeding for conservation and land management. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 376(1839), 20200383.

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Come and hear about the only entire bird family to go extinct in recent times...

Footage of the last Kauaʻi ʻōʻō :

https://youtu.be/x2KH5AoyeBc?si=rEONFaoyUNL6Cpsm 

References:

Fleischer, R. C., Campana, M. G., & James, H. F. (2022). Hawaiian songbird radiations. Current Biology, 32(20), R1070-R1072.

Fleischer, R. C., James, H. F., & Olson, S. L. (2008). Convergent evolution of Hawaiian and Australo-Pacific honeyeaters from distant songbird ancestors. Current Biology, 18(24), 1927-1931.

Lovette, I. J. (2008). Convergent evolution: raising a family from the dead. Current Biology, 18(24), R1132-R1134.

Pender, R. J., Morden, C. W., & Paull, R. E. (2014). Investigating the pollination syndrome of the Hawaiian lobeliad genus Clermontia (Campanulaceae) using floral nectar traits. American journal of botany, 101(1), 201-205.

Schmitt, C. J., & Edwards, S. V. (2022). Passerine birds. Current Biology, 32(20), R1149-R1154.

Zhao, M., Kimball, R. T., & Braun, E. L. (2025). The phylogenetic position of the extinct Hawaiian honeyeaters: Overcoming the limitations of antique DNA. bioRxiv, 2025-06.

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Saddle up for another episode of blurbs!

Links to Jimmy’s work

Instagram: @jimmy_birds 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyR_Birds

Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@FeelGoodBirder

References:

Cash, W., & Briskie, J. V. (2012). Abnormally long bill in a South Island Saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus). Notornis, 59, 88-89.

Hooson, S., & Jamieson, I. G. (2003). Breeding biology of the South Island saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus carunculatus, Callaeatidae). Notornis, 50(4), 191-200.

Hooson, S., & Jamieson, I. G. (2003). The distribution and current status of New Zealand saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus. Bird conservation international, 13(2), 79-95.

Jenkins, P. F., & Veitch, C. R. (1991). Sexual dimorphism and age determination in the North Island saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus rufaster). New Zealand journal of zoology, 18(4), 445-450.

Lloyd-Jones, D. (2014). Wattle function and territoriality in the South Island saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus). 

Parker, K. A., Ludwig, K., King, T. M., Brunton, D. H., Scofield, R. P., & Jamieson, I. G. (2014). Differences in vocalisations, morphology and mtDNA support species status for New Zealand saddleback Philesturnus spp. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 41(2), 79-94.

Sutherland, K. (2021). Temporal changes in cultural diversity across a growing meta-population of North Island saddleback (tīeke; Philesturnus rufusater): effects of mixed versus single-source translocations: a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Biology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand (Doctoral dissertation, Massey University).

Taylor, S. S., & Jamieson, I. G. (2007). Determining sex of South Island saddlebacks (Philesturnus carunculatus carunculatus) using discriminant function analysis. Notornis, 54(2), 61.

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Thanks @theweenuthatch for the topic idea! (go give him a follow on instagram!)

Become an "endemic blurb" on Patreon to suggest your own episode topic ideas  (through the support the show link!).

References:

Bubier, N. E., Paxton, C. G., Bowers, P., & Deeming, D. C. (1998). Courtship behaviour of ostriches (Struthio camelus) towards humans under farming conditions in Britain. British Poultry Science, 39(4), 477-481.

Ghirlanda, S., Jansson, L., & Enquist, M. (2002). Chickens prefer beautiful humans. Human Nature, 13(3), 383-389.

Grossi, B., Iriarte-Díaz, J., Larach, O., Canals, M., & Vásquez, R. A. (2014). Walking like dinosaurs: chickens with artificial tails provide clues about non-avian theropod locomotion. PloS one, 9(2), e88458. 

Meyer-Rochow, V. B., & Gal, J. (2003). Pressures produced when penguins pooh—calculations on avian defaecation. Polar Biology, 27(1), 56-58.

Watanabe, S., Sakamoto, J., & Wakita, M. (1995). Pigeons’ discrimination of paintings by Monet and Picasso. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 63(2), 165-174.

Yuan, Z. M., Chen, M., Jia, L., Ji, C., & Incecik, A. (2021). Wave-riding and wave-passing by ducklings in formation swimming. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 928, R2.

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This is an evolving area of research! Come and hear abit about the fascinating world of birds and fungi...

Support Jen, a.k.a StagPath, (the inspiration for this episode)

instagram: @stagpath                   

Nature guidance work: stagpath.com

Note - at 14:18, it sounds like I say "pop"rolites, but the correct word (and what I said) was coprolites!

References:

Boast, A. P., Weyrich, L. S., Wood, J. R., Metcalf, J. L., Knight, R., & Cooper, A. (2018). Coprolites reveal ecological interactions lost with the extinction of New Zealand birds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(7), 1546-1551.

Brunton-Martin, A., Wood, J., & Gaskett, A. C. (2024). Evidence for adaptation of colourful truffle-like fungi for birds in Aotearoa-New Zealand. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 18908.

Elliott, T. F., Jusino, M. A., Trappe, J. M., Lepp, H., Ballard, G. A., Bruhl, J. J., & Vernes, K. (2019). A global review of the ecological significance of symbiotic associations between birds and fungi. Fungal Diversity, 98(1), 161-194.

Wood, J. R., Dickie, I. A., Moeller, H. V., Peltzer, D. A., Bonner, K. I., Rattray, G., & Wilmshurst, J. M. (2015). Novel interactions between non‐native mammals and fungi facilitate establishment of invasive pines. Journal of Ecology, 103(1), 121-129.

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Come and learn about my favourite Australian bird!

Support the show: patreon.com/blurbs439

Follow me on instagram: matt.rossella

References:

Chan, K., Ford, H. A., & Ambrose, S. J. (1990). Ecophysiological adaptations of the Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris to a high altitudinal winter environment. Emu-Austral Ornithology, 90(2), 119-122.

Ford, H. A. (1991). Coping with an erratic nectar source—eastern spinebills Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris at New England National Park. Emu-Austral Ornithology, 91(1), 53-56.

Ford, H. A., & Paton, D. C. (1982). Partitioning of nectar sources in an Australian honeyeater community. Australian Journal of Ecology, 7(2), 149-159.

Ford, H. A., & Pursey, J. F. (1982). Status and feeding of the Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris at New England National Park, north-eastern NSW. Emu-Austral Ornithology, 82(4), 203-211.

Guppy, M., Guppy, S., Carlisle, N., & Fullagar, P. (2016). The Eastern Spinebill'Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris' as a nest-predator. Australian Field Ornithology, 33, 20-21.

Johnson, K. A., McQuillan, P. B., & Kirkpatrick, J. B. (2010). Bird pollination of the climbing heath Prionotes cerinthoides (Ericaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences, 171(2), 147-157.

McFarland, D. C. (1983). Ritualized aggression in the Eastern Spinebill'Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris'. Sunbird: Journal of the Queensland Ornithological Society, The, 13(4), 78-81.

McFarland, D., & Ford, H. (1987). Aspects of population biology of the Eastern spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris (Meliphagidae) in New England National Park, NSW. Corella, 11, 52-58.

Pyke, G. H. (1981). Why hummingbirds hover and honeyeaters perch. Animal Behaviour, 29(3), 861-867.

Sarker, S., Athukorala, A., Talukder, S., & Phalen, D. N. (2020). Phylogenetic analyses to uncover the evolutionary relationship of a newly sequenced mitochondrial genome from an Eastern spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris). Mitochondrial DNA Part B, 5(3), 3234-3238.

Scoble, J., & Clarke, M. F. (2006). Nectar availability and flower choice by eastern spinebills foraging on mountain correa. Animal Behaviour, 72(6), 1387-1394.

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This is a serious episode, I promise! Come and learn a bit about the role of robotic birds in conservation and research!

References:

Araguas, A., Guellaï, B., Gauthier, P., Richer, F., Montone, G., Chopin, A., & Derégnaucourt, S. (2022). Design of a robotic zebra finch for experimental studies on developmental song learning. Journal of Experimental Biology, 225(3), jeb242949.

Badri-Spröwitz, A., Aghamaleki Sarvestani, A., Sitti, M., & Daley, M. A. (2022). BirdBot achieves energy-efficient gait with minimal control using avian-inspired leg clutching. Science Robotics, 7(64), eabg4055.

Butler, S. R., & Fernández-Juricic, E. (2014). European starlings recognize the location of robotic conspecific attention. Biology Letters, 10(10), 20140665.

Simon, R., Varkevisser, J., Mendoza, E., Hochradel, K., Elsinga, R., Wiersma, P. G., ... & Halfwerk, W. (2023). RoboFinch: a versatile audio‐visual synchronised robotic bird model for laboratory and field research on songbirds. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 14(4), 1092-1103.

Storms, R. F., Carere, C., Musters, R., Van Gasteren, H., Verhulst, S., & Hemelrijk, C. K. (2022). Deterrence of birds with an artificial predator, the RobotFalcon. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 19(195), 20220497.

Storms, R. F., Carere, C., Musters, R., Hulst, R., Verhulst, S., & Hemelrijk, C. K. (2024). A robotic falcon induces similar collective escape responses in different bird species. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 21(214), 20230737.

Other:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_lmQN6xXjY 

(2024 10 University of Canterbury M39 final year engineering animatronic project: South Island kōkako)

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Here's a quick catchup about some of the birding I got up to on a recent trip to Victoria, Australia.

Follow these legends on Instagram:

@superb_gzyd (and check out https://gary-dickson.com/photography/) 

@birdable

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Well it's been a minute! but I'm finally back in the booth with Jimmy Rosebrock, and he's brought along his co-host from the Feel Good Birder Podcast, Jeff!

We talk trips, encounters, instagram, Pokémon and more! It's one big ole' glorious catchup!

Support the show

You'll be gull-ad you listened to this episode!

Follow me on instagram: matt.rossella

Support the show: patreon.com/blurbs439

References:

Bell, M., & Harborne, P. (2019). The use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to census large breeding colonies of black-billed gull (Larus bulleri) and white-fronted tern (Sterna striata) at the Ashburton River/Hakatere River mouth. Notornis, 66, 95-97.

Brown, D. (2001). Black-billed gulls hawking cicadas over shrubland. Notornis, 48, 111-112.

Dowding, J. E. (2020). Eggs salvaged from an abandoned black-billed gull (Larus bulleri) colony on the Ashley/Rakahuri River, North Canterbury. Notornis, 67, 583-585.

McClellan, R. K. (2009). The ecology and management of Southland's black-billed gulls (Doctoral dissertation, University of Otago).

Mischler, C. P. (2018). Estimating the breeding population of black-billed gulls Larus bulleri in New Zealand, and methods for future count surveys. Notornis, 65, 67-83.

Mischler, C. (2018). Population status and genetic diversity of the endemic black-billed gull Larus bulleri of New Zealand (Doctoral dissertation, University of Otago).

Mischler, C., Veale, A., Van Stijn, T., Brauning, R., McEwan, J. C., Maloney, R., & Robertson, B. C. (2018). Population connectivity and traces of mitochondrial introgression in New Zealand black-billed gulls (Larus bulleri). Genes, 9(11), 544.

Rebergen, A. (2016). Changes in the number of black-billed gulls (Larus bulleri) nesting on the Ruamahanga River, Wairarapa, between 1998 and 2012. Notornis, 63, 50-53.

Weston, K. A., & Fraser, I. (2020). Large-scale hail-induced mortality in white-fronted tern (Sterna striata) and black-billed gull (Larus bulleri) breeding colonies on the Rangitata River, New Zealand. Notornis, 67, 481-484.

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