Dianne H Brunton

Massey University, Auckland Campus

Biological invasions are a multi-stage process (i.e., transport, introduction, establishment, spread), with each stage potentially acting as a selective filter on traits associated with invasion success. Behavior (e.g., exploration, activity, boldness) plays a key role in facilitating species introductions, but whether invasion acts as a selective...

Male and female adult Floreana mockingbird (Mimus trifasciatus) have monomorphic plumage features that make them impossible to sex in the field. In this study, we use discriminant function analysis (DFA), a widely used technique, to assess the best measures to determine sex. We measured six morphological characteristics (mass, beak depth, beak widt...

Understanding the spatial relationships between land use/land cover (LULC) and physicochemical water quality in pond ecosystems is vital to the conservation and management of ponds. This knowledge is especially critical to reconcile landscape planning and management, particularly in urban regions with rapid population growth. In this study we measu...

[OPEN ACCESS] The Fairy Tern Sternula nereis is an Australasian tern that breeds in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand, with the latter having the smallest breeding population and is listed as ‘Threatened – Nationally Critical’ by the New Zealand Department of Conservation. Here, we investigate the genetic relatedness and level of endemism (g...

Songbirds learn their songs culturally, through imitating tutors. The vocal culture of a songbird population changes as new song units (syllables) are introduced through immigration, copying errors, and innovation, while other syllables fall out of use. This leads to a diversification of the syllable pool across the species, much like the diversifi...

To determine the success of restoration programmes, knowledge of the temporal dynamics in community structure and processes is vital. The water quality and macroinvertebrate community structures of a newly created and an established pond within the same ecosystem were sampled bi-monthly over a year to monitor the development of the new pond. The wa...

How song repertoires vary within species and change over time is well studied in male songbirds. However, variation in female song repertoires remains largely unstudied despite female song being much more common and complex than once assumed. We investigated the song syllable repertoire of the New Zealand bellbird (Anthornis melanura), a species wh...

Songbirds learn their songs culturally, through imitating tutors. The vocal culture of a songbird population changes as new song units (syllables) are introduced through immigration, copying errors, and innovation, while other syllables fall out of use. This leads to a diversification of the syllable pool across the species, much like the diversifi...

Ecological restoration projects provide excellent opportunities to study how animals adapt their life−history strategies in response to changeable environments. A fundamental way animals can optimise reproductive success in changing conditions is trading−off aspects of their breeding system. The New Zealand bellbird ( Anthornis melanura ) has had a...

Invasive species are a major threat to biodiversity worldwide, causing many of the recent declines and extinctions of native species. Competition is a common mechanism through which invasive species impact the native biota. In particular, exploitative competition results when the invader outcompetes native species for essential resources, such as f...

--OPEN ACCESS-- Abstract In heterogeneous habitats, camouflage via background matching can be challenging because visual characteristics can vary dramatically across small spatial scales. Additionally, temporal variation in signaling functions of coloration can affect crypsis, especially when animals use coloration seasonally for intraspecific sign...

Classifying acoustic units is often a key step in studying repertoires and sequence structure in animal communication. Manual classification by eye and ear remains the primary method, but new tools and techniques are urgently needed to expedite the process for large, diverse datasets. Here we introduce Koe , an application for classifying and analy...

Background Haemoproteus and Plasmodium species are widespread avian blood parasites. Several Plasmodium species are known for their high virulence and have caused significant declines in naïve bird populations. The impact of closely related Haemoproteus parasites is largely unknown. Recently we reported a lethal disease in two parrot aviaries cause...

Supplemental information

Background: Parasites can exert selection pressure on their hosts through effects on survival, on reproductive success, on sexually selected ornament, with important ecological and evolutionary consequences, such as changes in population viability. Consequently, hemoparasites have become the focus of recent avian studies. Infection varies significa...

Song development research has been dominated by studies of northern hemisphere species where typically only males sing. However, female song is present in many species and recent research shows that female song is in fact the ancestral trait for songbirds. Here we present results from a field-based cross-sectional study comparing song development i...

The Germain's swiftlet (Aerodramus inexpectatus germani) feeds on flying insects whose distribution and abundance are influenced by climatic conditions, especially rainfall. In turn, insect availability influences the onset of breeding by swiftlets, hence regions with different climatic conditions such as the west and the east coasts of peninsular...

Song complexity in many songbirds is a trait subject to sexual selection. It is often associated with male territorial defence. Empirical studies testing differential male responses to rival song in vocally complex songbirds have, however, been scarce. We conducted playback experiments of the endemic New Zealand Tui Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae to...

Geographic patterns of song variation are common in passerines and can develop as a consequence of the mechanisms of song acquisition and dispersal. In particular, the timing of dispersal relative to the sensory learning phase and the time of song crystal-lization is important. For example, when the sensory phase continues after dispersal or when m...

Germain’s swiftlets (Aerodramus inexpectatus germani) are farmed regularly in Southeast Asia and produce highly valuable nests for which there is an increasing demand. Some populations of this species are thought to be decreasing, but little is known about the habitat used by swiftlets for foraging. Here, we focused on this swiftlet’s foraging habi...

As ecosystem engineers, petrels are integral to ecological restoration schemes seeking to restore land sea nutrient pathways. Yet the current ranges of many petrel species are vastly reduced due to marine and terrestrial threats. Chick translocation is a demonstrated management tool for establishing seabird populations but is dependent on detailed...

--ACESSIBLE ONLINE DOI--- Habitat suitability is a critical aspect for the successful establishment of a translocated population. Past studies have identified multiple factors that contribute to habitat suitability, including resource availability, presence of invasive species, landscape connectivity and climate. However, visual camouflage – colora...

Elaborate plumages and songs in male birds provide classic evidence for Darwinian sexual selection. However, trait elaboration in birds is not gender-restricted: female song has recently been revealed as a taxonomically-widespread trait within the songbirds (oscine Passerines), prompting increased research into likely functions and social/ecologica...

Bird song is commonly regarded as a male trait that has evolved through sexual selection. However, recent research has prompted a re-evaluation of this view by demonstrating that female song is an ancestral and phylogenetically widespread trait. Species with female song provide opportunities to study selective pressures and mechanisms specific to f...

The largest extant New Zealand gecko, Hoplodactylus duvaucelii (Duvaucel's Gecko), is a nocturnal, viviparous species of conservation concern. Hoplodactylus duvaucelii, once widespread throughout New Zealand, is now confined to offshore islands, the majority of which are free from all introduced mammalian predators (mice, rats, cats, mustelids, bru...

An adult female Duvaucel's gecko (Hoplodactylus duvaucelii) from a threatened species breeding programme presented due to a prolonged gestation period and distended abdomen. The gecko was in lean body condition with an irregularly-shaped, firm mass in the coelomic cavity. Radiographically there was a diffuse radio-opacity within the coelomic cavity...

Forest fragmentation and agricultural development are important anthropogenic landscape alterations affecting the disease dynamics of malarial parasites (Plasmodium spp.), largely through their effects on vector communities. We compared vector abundance and species composition at two forest edge sites abutting pastureland and two forest interior si...

Human expert analyses are commonly used in bioacoustic studies and can potentially limit the reproducibility of these results. In this paper, a machine learning method is presented to statistically classify avian vocalizations. Automated approaches were applied to isolate bird songs from long field recordings, assess song similarities, and classify...

The Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana) occurs throughout the Himalayan alpine mountain ecosystem. We examined the characteristics of Himalayan marmot habitat, diet, and macronutrient consumption in the upper Mustang region of Nepal. Marmots inhabited warmer valleys close to water sources in areas between 2,900 and 4,800 m above sea level. Soil p...

The success of visual camouflage depends on how well an animal blends into its background, thus concealing its presence from potential predators or prey. However, optimising background-matching is challenging in heterogeneous habitats. Many species exhibit substantial colour pattern variation, and in a prey species such as the shore skinks (Oligoso...

Little information on the behavioral ecology and social organization of New Zealand's diplodactylid geckos is available. At least two species may be gregarious and share shelters, but data on the extent and possible function of this behavior are lacking. We examined the spatial distribution patterns of Duvaucel's Geckos in diurnal retreats over the...

In this study, we investigated the relative influence of habitat variables on the decision by Sterna dougallii (Roseate Tern) parents to move from (movers) or to stay at (stayers) the nest after chick hatch. At Country Island, NS, Canada, 75% of the 21 Roseate Tern breeding pairs in this study were movers. Using a model-selection approach, we found...

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is an endangered carnivore of southern and central Asia. Approximate 10% of the global population occurs in the Himalayan region of Nepal. The snow leopard is thought to be in decline because of human–snow leopard conflicts, poaching, habitat loss and fragmentation, decreasing prey populations, and a lack of awaren...

Little is known about how a 70% loss of native forests has affected the genetic connectivity of remnant bird populations in New Zealand. We use the common and widely distributed New Zealand Bellbird Anthornis melanura as an indicator species of population connectivity for well-flighted birds. Using eight microsatellite loci, we identified five main...

Fifteen microsatellite markers were developed for Telmatobufo bullocki, a critically endangered frog species from Chile. Genetic diversity that was assessed in 29 individuals from one location showed 3–19 alleles per locus. These markers were then tested for cross-species amplification in two related and similarly threatened species. The markers wi...

Appropriate definitions of species limits are critical for scientific study and conservation management. Many subspecies of birds are defined on the basis of phenotypic variation. However, it has been suggested that following close examination many of these subspecies will be recognised as good species. North Island (NI) (Philesturnus rufusater) an...

The Himalaya region of Nepal provides a habitat for the endangered snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and its principal prey species, the blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur). The aim of this study was to describe the habitat, the distribution and the population structure of blue sheep, and to estimate their contribution to the carrying capacity of snow leopard...

ABSTRACT Human communities in the Trans-Himalayan region depend on the dynamics of the agro-pastoral system for survival. Humans, livestock and wild predators share common resources in the region, and this leads to human-wildlife interactions that have the potential to threaten the continued viability of this fragile ecosystem and impact the local...

Reintroduction success depends in part on the release strategy used. Particular release strategies are often assumed to confer benefits, but few studies have tested these assumptions. We examined the effect of delayed release (often considered a form of "soft release") on survival for up to seven months after translocation of an endangered passerin...

We present counts of white blood cells of wild and clinically normal red-crowned parakeets (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) from 2 island populations in New Zealand. Total white blood cell counts on slides prepared in the field and counts of relative proportion of basophils, eosinophils, heterophils, lymphocytes and monocytes were determined for 33 in...

A survey was conducted amongst a sample (n = 3 000) of the New Zealand public to gauge their perception of government spending on conservation. The survey also obtained an understanding of the level of awareness the public has of New Zealand threatened species. Respondents ranked eight areas of government spending, namely health, education, superan...

Urbanisation alters several ecological factors that shape the composition and the structure of animal communities. Changes in predation pressure and human disturbances are among the important factors that affect native bird survival in urban habitats. Nesting period, especially for open-cup nests, represents the most sensitive stage of life to pred...

Invasive rat species are a major threat to the biodiversity of island habitats worldwide. To mitigate the impacts of rat invasions to New Zealand's unique biodiversity, 'pest-free' offshore and mainland island refuges have been created. The success of this approach depends on the long term maintenance of the pest-free status of these refuges. Becau...

We tested whether conspecific attraction can be more efficient than food bait for the detection and capture of an invasive, social species, the Norway rat Rattus norvegicus. We compared trapping rates between male and female laboratory rats and food baited controls at four mainland sites with low rat population densities, three recreational sites (...

Invasive rodents pose major concerns for human health, agriculture and conservation. House mice Mus musculus are one of the most formidable invasive rodents, and require intensive efforts for their control. Control measures rely largely on food baits but difficulties in the eradication of mouse populations necessitates the development of alternativ...

Variation in the temporal patterns of nest availability through the breeding season or across the geographical range of a host is expected to be an important selection pressure shaping the breeding biology of avian brood parasites. The archipelago-wide distribution of the endemic Grey Warbler (Gerygone igata) in New Zealand, and its parasitism by t...

Multiple species translocations to the same site are becoming common practice in New Zealand restoration programmes. With every new translocation, the risk of parasite transmission between populations can increase. The translocation of Hoplodactylus duvaucelii and Oligosoma smithi provided the opportunity to 1) test for Salmonella and Cryptosporidi...

Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) are the key prey of the endangered snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in the Himalayan region of Nepal. However, the snow leopard population has recently expanded back into the Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park where the blue sheep are currently absent, and the evidence of snow leopard depredation of livestock can be fo...

Rangelands are considered critical ecosystems in the Nepal Himalayas and provide multiple ecosystem services that support local livelihoods. However, these rangelands are under threat from various anthropogenic and natural stresses. This study analyzes an example of conflict over the use of rangeland, involving two villages in the Mustang district...

The Trans-Himalaya region boasts an immense biodiversity which includes several threatened species and supports the livelihood of local human populations. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the impact of recent climate change on the biodiversity and human inhabitants of the upper Mustang region of the Trans-Himalaya, Nepal. We found that the ave...

The occurrence of colour and pattern variation in lizards is often attributed to natural selection (e.g. predator avoidance) and sexual selection (e.g. mate choice). These selective forces can often oppose each other, resulting in a phenotype that reflects a compromise between survival and mating success. However, the effect of multiple selection p...

North Island Saddlebacks (Philesturnus rufusater) have been the subject of a well-documented sequence of translocations to isolated islands around New Zealand. We measured corticosterone stress responses in North Island Saddlebacks derived from the ancestral population and from a series of three sequential translocations. Each translocation might i...

Many populations of invasive mice Mus musculus in New Zealand have experienced the removal of mammalian predators and competitors, with the consequence of mouse population irruptions. The effects of these removals on mouse foraging are largely unknown, yet this information is essential for developing and implementing better mouse control. We invest...

The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a highly destructive invasive species but while rat eradications on islands are effective, detection of survivors or reinvasions is challenging. We tested whether laboratory rats can act as lures for wild rats. We live-trapped rats first by using food baits, followed by live trapping using male and female lure...

The negative effects of introduced nest predators on the breeding success of endemic New Zealand parrots are well documented, as is their role in the general decline of these species. In contrast, little is known about the intrinsic intra-brood dynamics responsible for modulating fledging success in parrots breeding at sites free of introduced nest...

We investigated the distribution and diet of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Upper Mustang Region (UMR) of the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) in Nepal by interviewing local residents (n = 166) and collecting bear sign (n = 109). Residents reported that brown bears predominantly used the Dhalung and Chungjung pastures and the Damodar Kunda Vall...

The Himalaya region of Nepal encompasses significant habitats for several endangered species, among them the brown bear (Ursus arctos pruinosus). However, owing to the remoteness of the region and a dearth of research, knowledge on the conservation status, habitat and population size of this species is lacking. Our aim in this paper is to report a...

Supplementary Table 1 List of full genomes BFDV sequences used in maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis

Significant progress in our understanding of disease transmission in the wild can be made by examining variation in host-parasite-vector interactions after founder events of the host. This study is the first to document patterns in avian malaria, Plasmodium spp., infecting an endemic New Zealand passerine, Anthornis melanura, at multiple-host subpo...

Hispid hare Caprolagus hispidus is one of the less studied endangered small mammal species in the world. Hispid hare distribution includes the tropical grassland ecosystem in Nepal. Grassland fire is one of the management regimes used in this region and its impact on biodiversity is controversial. We investigated the diet and habitat use of hispid...

Translocation of endangered species to habitats where exotic predators have been removed is now a common conservation practice around the world. Many of these translocated populations have thrived, and they are often used as sources for the harvesting of individuals for translocations to sites where exotic predators still exist, albeit at reduced d...