Post‐mortem examination of New Zealand pigeons (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) from the Auckland area

Abstract

In a large sample of New Zealand pigeons (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) found dead in the wider Auckland region, New Zealand, the sex ratio was 1.7:1 in favour of females. Adult males had slightly but significantly shorter bills and longer wings than females, but there was no significant difference between the sexes for tarsus and tail length. Adults weighed 420–780 g, with an average of 638 g for males and 596 g for females (not significantly different). There was little seasonal variation in weight, but fat score was highest on average in autumn and lowest in summer. In adults, testes were often enlarged from September to February with a peak in October, and ovaries were often enlarged from August to January, suggesting that birds laid their eggs between August and September and January and February. This breeding period is long but still seasonal. There was a long season of primary moult (October‐May) with a post‐breeding peak (February‐April), and an absence of moult in winter. Tail moult was confined to late summer and autumn (February‐April).