New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts

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A preliminary study of the genetic differences in New Zealand oystercatcher species

Jonathan C. Banks^*

Adrian M. Paterson

Bio-protection and Ecology Division
PO Box 84
Lincoln University 7647
Canterbury, New Zealand

^*Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Waikato Mail Centre, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand. j.banks@waikato.ac.nz

Abstract   The taxonomy of New Zealand oystercatchers is controversial. Some authorities assign full species status to all three oystercatcher taxa breeding in New Zealand, whereas others classify the variable oystercatcher as a full species and the Chatham Island oystercatcher and South Island pied oystercatcher as distinct only at the subspecies level. The debate is not just of academic interest, as the IUCN lists the Chatham Island oystercatcher as Endangered and the New Zealand Department of Conservation has carried an intensive management programme to conserve it. We obtained genetic data from four regions of the mitochondrial genome of all three taxa, and found support for classifying the Chatham Island and South Island pied oystercatchers as full species, rather than subspecies.

Keywords   chathamensis finschi; Haematopus; mitochondrial; ostralegus; taxonomy; unicolor

Z06038; Online publication date 15 May 2007; Received 14 December 2006; accepted 20 April 2007

New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 2007, Vol. 34: 141—144
0301—4223/07/3402—0141 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2007

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