I have been interested and working with hihi since I was involved with establishing the Tiritiri Matangi island population through translocation in 1995. I am now employed as a Research Fellow at the Zoological Society of London and have been here since 2004. My research is multi-disciplinary and focusses on small population biology and management. I use decision science to assist in planning hihi management and drive our applied research with this species and have experience in molecular and behavioural ecology, wildlife health and nutrition and reintroduction biology.
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Published in: Science Authors: Bonnet et al (there are 40!) Abstract: The rate of adaptive evolution, the contribution of selection to genetic changes that increase mean fitness, is determined by the additive genetic variance in individual relative fitness. To date, there are few robust estimates of this parameter for natural populations, and it is therefore […]
Published in: Ecological Modelling Authors: Doug P. Armstrong, Elizabeth, H. Parlato & Peter G.H. Frost Abstract: Survival, reproduction and detection rates may vary greatly amongst individuals. Failure to account for this variation results in biased inferences about age effects and population size. However, individual variation is not normally considered in population viability analysis, potentially leading […]
Published in: Molecular Ecology Authors: Laura Duntsch, Annabel Whibley, Patricia Brekke, John G. Ewen & Anna W. Santure Abstract: Inbreeding can lead to a loss of heterozygosity in a population and when combined with genetic drift may reduce the adaptive potential of a species. However, there is uncertainty about whether resequencing data can provide accurate […]
Published in: Molecular Ecology Resources Authors: Kate D. Lee, Craig D. Miller, Patricia Brekke, Annabel Whibley, John G. Ewen, Melanie Hingston, Amy Zhu, Anna W. Santure Abstract: Next-generation sequencing has transformed the fields of ecological and evolutionary genetics by allowing for cost-effective identification of genome-wide variation. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays, or “SNP chipsâ€, enable very […]
Published in: Animal Conservation Authors: Mather, E., Fogell, D.J., McCready, M., McInnes, K. & Ewen, J.G. Abstract: Haematophagous parasites can negatively impact breeding success and their control is often the target of management for threatened bird species. Mitigating parasitism can be difficult and certainly should only be done if parasite control is possible and if […]
The hihi, it turns out, is a bit of a character. Once found all over the North Island, deforestation, disease, and the introduction of predators led to its eventual exclusion to Te Hauturu-o-toi/ Little Barrier Island. There are now seven wild populations of hihi across New Zealand, with estimates of upwards of 2000 across the […]
The number of female hihi at Whanganui’s Bushy Park Tarapuruhi sanctuary has doubled after a better breeding season. Hihi, or stitchbirds, were once common but are now one of New Zealand’s most endangered birds. Read the full story from the New Zealand Herald here
Published in: Animal Conservation Authors: Elizabeth H. Parlato, John G. Ewen, Mhairi McCready, Fiona Gordon, Kevin A. Parker & Doug P. Armstrong Abstract: The importance of accounting for temporal variation in vital rates when modelling population dynamics is well recognized. However, long-term (usually >5Â years) datasets are needed to estimate this variation. Consequently, models for newly […]
