Chatham Islands Ornithology

A Tribute to Sir Charles A. Fleming KBE, DSc, FRS, FRSNZ 1916-1987

Edited by Richard N. Holdaway

A Special edition of Notornis, Volume 41, Supplement, December 1994.

The contributions to this Fleming Memorial Issue of Notornis can touch on only a small part of Sir Charles Fleming's encyclopaedic interests. Underlying all the accounts, however, one can discern the extent of his contributions to science and society in New Zealand. The natural sciences, particularly geology and ornithology, are fortunate in being able to claim Sir Charles as their own. His enthusiasm led him to enter many other fields, but it is with birds, and especially Chatham Island birds, that most Society members will associate him.

This volume begins with Peter Bull's appreciation of Sir Charles Fleming's contribution to Chatham Island ornithology in which he summarises Sir Charles's special contribution to knowledge of Chatham Island birds and his staunch and lasting advocacy of protection and research on the islands and their fauna. The follow 15 papers whose contents range from general summaries of the land (Freeman) and oceanic (Imber) birds, to detailed studies of parakeets (Nixon), passerines (McLean et al.), Brown Skuas (Young), and Shore Plover (Davis).