Talk on godwits – the world’s greatest athletes
David Melville with Chinese colleagues at the Yalu Jiang National Nature Reserve, NE China examining a shorebird. Photo: Peter Collins.
David Melville, an internationally renowned expert on wading birds, will present a talk on godwits this Sunday.
Mr Melville, a member of the New Zealand Ornithological Society, has been studying waders for 30 years. His current work includes an investigation into the possible causes of the noted decrease in the godwit population.
"The numbers are going down but we don't know why. There are no obvious changes taking place in New Zealand or Alaska, so if there is a problem it is most likely in the Yellow Sea, and if that is the case it would be most likely a pollution problem."
Each year in April, the godwits leave New Zealand to return to their Alaskan breeding grounds, and Mr Melville follows their flight path through China to Alaska. In previous years the biologist has banded godwits before their departure for New Zealand; this year he surveyed godwits and studied food availability for shorebirds in north-east China.
"We were right on the North Korean border, which is the major stopping point for the godwits. The entire New Zealand population stops here, together with hundreds of thousands of other migrating birds. They fly non-stop for 10,000km to get here and after fattening up for six weeks they fly another 6,500km to Alaska. I've been fortunate to visit the Alaskan breeding grounds three times - seeing birds arriving in the spring and watching them fatten up before their non-stop flight to New Zealand. The fact that godwits can fly 11,500km non-stop in nine days, the longest single flight for any bird in the world, makes them the greatest athletes in the world."
When the godwits return they are exhausted and have to rebuild their guts and vital organs, which shrink before the long-distance trip in order to put on fat. The birds, which live up to 25 years, also have to renew their plumage. They moult until December/January, then gain fat again before leaving for the winter.
"It is an energetically demanding lifestyle," admitted Mr Melville, "And this also highlights why it is so important to keep roost sites used by godwits free of disturbance."
The bird expert trained as a biologist and began investigating bird-strike hazard to aircraft. He continued to study bird life during 21 years in Hong Kong, then worked for the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, establishing wildlife reserves in Asia and Australasia.
Since his move to New Zealand in 1999, Mr Melville has been working with shorebirds through the NZ Ornithological Society.
"This has included a three-year colour-banding study under contract to DOC, looking at movements of birds around New Zealand, and working with colleagues from New Zealand and the USA on international movements of godwits. I have been coming over to the Bay looking at waders regularly in recent years."
Talk co-organiser and local Forest and Bird secretary Jo-Anne Vaughan said "Golden Bay is greatly honoured that our shores are a destination for these Alaskan long-distance travellers, and we are honoured that David, a world authority on godwits, is able to spare time off from his work on Farewell Spit to speak to us."
"Travels with Godwits", an illustrated talk with David Melville, is on Sunday 16 November at the Community Centre, 7.30pm.
Ina Holst
