39-593: Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora is a broad, shallow coastal lake or waituna , in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is directly to the west of Banks Peninsula , separated from the Pacific Ocean by the long, narrow, sandy Kaitorete Spit , or more correctly Kaitorete Barrier. It lies partially in extreme southeastern Selwyn District and partially in the southwestern extension of
78-431: A hapau at its mouth. Over geological time, a spit grew, drift-aligned to the current. It was, initially, as to be expected, wide the southern end where it receives the most sand and gravel, and narrow at the northern end. However, as it grew, it bumped into Banks Peninsula . This stopped it growing, but the sediment kept coming, so it no longer fits the rules of a spit. It's now wider at the proximal end and narrower at
117-491: A healthy natural ecosystem, especially fish and wildlife habitat, and a decrease in the number of people participating in trout fishing and other activities has been recorded since 1996. In a 2010 report on lake water quality Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora was deemed the second most polluted lake in New Zealand in terms of nutrient content and algal growth. Algal blooms are a regular summer occurrence and toxic algae bloomed in
156-442: A lake or lagoon . It covers an area of 198 square kilometres (76 sq mi), and is New Zealand's 5th largest lake (by area). This illustrates why Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora has undergone significant ecological transformation in recent years as land use practices in the catchment area have changed. Southern elephant seals have been observed here, spending short periods in the lake. Basking sharks have occasionally entered
195-434: A long time, and shallow – typically less than 3 metres (9.8 ft) deep. They are tideless and the water is not well mixed by wind. The barrier prevents flushing by rainfall events. All this is evident in the green colour of water in above photo. Te Waihora / Lake Ellesmere is an outstanding natural feature. It is a wetland of international importance and an area of immense cultural significance to Ngāi Tahu . The waituna
234-588: A single subfamily Phasianinae. The grouse, turkeys, true pheasants, etc., would then become tribes of this subfamily, similar to how the Coturnicinae are commonly split into a quail and a spurfowl tribe. In 2021, Kimball et al . found the family to comprise three distinct subfamilies, with two containing multiple genera; these results were followed by the International Ornithological Congress . The partridge of Europe
273-1108: Is 4 metres (13 ft) above sea level . Galliformes Phasianiformes Galliformes / ˌ ɡ æ l ɪ ˈ f ɔːr m iː z / is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys , chickens , quail , and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are often reared by humans for their meat and eggs, or hunted as game birds. The order contains about 290 species , inhabiting every continent except Antarctica, and divided into five families : Phasianidae (including chicken, quail, partridges , pheasants , turkeys, peafowl (peacocks) and grouse ), Odontophoridae (New World quail), Numididae (guinea fowl), Cracidae (including chachalacas and curassows), and Megapodiidae (incubator birds like malleefowl and brush-turkeys ). They adapt to most environments except for innermost deserts and perpetual ice. Many gallinaceous species are skilled runners and escape predators by running rather than flying. Males of most species are more colorful than
312-537: Is fed by two small rivers, Selwyn River / Waikirikiri and Irwell River . These bring it a, comparatively, low volume of water, along with loads of silt and sand. At the coast, in an area known as Canterbury Bight , a current runs parallel to the shore from south to north. This strong current brings with it sand and gravel sourced from the Rakaia River . The bight is chronically eroding because its beaches are starved of sediment. The Rakaia River, incidentally, has
351-471: Is neither a true lake, lagoon nor estuary. This classification differentiates it from hapua , a type of river mouth lagoon. Both waituna and hapua are rare globally but common in New Zealand , where they are considered ecologically significant as sites of traditional Māori food-gathering as well as for their diversity of fish and bird species. Waituna form an interlinked chain of habitats which run
390-473: Is not closely related to other partridge-like Galliformes, as already indicated by its sexually dimorphic coloration and possession of more than 14 rectrices , traits it shares with the other advanced phasianids. However, among these its relationships are obscure; it is unclear whether it is closer to the turkeys or to certain short-tailed pheasants like Ithaginis , Lophophorus , Pucrasia , and Tragopan . In 2021, Kimball et al . found it to belong to
429-527: The Paleogene , namely the Gallinuloididae , Paraortygidae and Quercymegapodiidae . In the early Cenozoic , some additional birds may or may not be early Galliformes, though even if they are, they are unlikely to belong to extant families: From the mid- Eocene onwards – about 45 Mya or so, true galliforms are known, and these completely replace their older relatives in the early Neogene . Since
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#1732788068705468-639: The Phasianidae are expanded in current taxonomy to include the former Tetraonidae and Meleagrididae as subfamilies . The Anseriformes ( waterfowl ) and the Galliformes together make up the Galloanserae . They are basal among the living neognathous birds, and normally follow the Paleognathae (ratites and tinamous) in modern bird classification systems. This was first proposed in
507-564: The Pied Stilt , South Island Pied Oystercatcher , Banded Dotterel and Wrybill , and also Arctic migrants such as the Bar-Tailed Godwit , Red-Necked Stint , Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper and Pacific Golden Plover , among others. Waterfowl are also prominent residents on the lake, with native species including Paradise Shelduck , New Zealand Scaup , Australasian Shoveler and Grey Teal . Grey Teal are actually considered one of
546-632: The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy and has been the one major change of that proposed scheme that was almost universally adopted. However, the Galliformes as they were traditionally delimited are called Gallomorphae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, which splits the Cracidae and Megapodiidae as an order " Craciformes ". This is not a natural group, however, but rather an erroneous result of the now-obsolete phenetic methodology employed in
585-453: The distal end. It's become a barrier. Approximately 5000 years ago, it swung around, hinged at the point near Wairewa marae on the shores of Lake Forsyth / Waiwera . The barrier, named Kaitorete Spit , even though it's a barrier not a spit, prevents the Selwyn / Waikirikiri and Irwell rivers from draining into the sea, and hence, a waituna sits behind the barrier. Its natural lake level
624-480: The phylogeny of the Phasianidae has resisted complete resolution. A tentative list of the higher-level galliform taxa , listed in evolutionary sequence, is: The relationships of many pheasants and partridges were formerly very badly resolved and much confounded by adaptive radiation (in the former) and convergent evolution (in the latter). Thus, the bulk of the Phasianidae was alternatively treated as
663-651: The Late Cretaceous Portezuelo Formation ( Turonian - Coniacian , about 90 Mya) in the Sierra de Portezuelo ( Argentina ) has also been suggested to be an early galliform relative. This is a partial coracoid of a neornithine bird, which in its general shape and particularly the wide and deep attachment for the muscle joining the coracoid and the humerus bone resembles the more basal lineages of galliforms. Additional galliform-like pangalliformes are represented by extinct families from
702-427: The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy. Phenetic studies do not distinguish between plesiomorphic and apomorphic characters, which leads to basal lineages appearing as monophyletic groups. Historically, the buttonquails (Turnicidae), mesites (Mesitornithidae) and the hoatzin ( Opisthocomus hoazin ) were placed in the Galliformes, too. The former are now known to be shorebirds adapted to an inland lifestyle, whereas
741-708: The absence of bone material, their relationships cannot be determined except that they are apparently avian in origin. Modern genera of phasianids start appearing around the Oligocene - Miocene boundary, roughly 25–20 Mya. It is not well known whether the living genera of the other, older, galliform families originated around the same time or earlier, though at least in the New World quail, pre-Neogene forms seem to belong to genera that became entirely extinct later on. A number of Paleogene to mid-Neogene fossils are quite certainly Galliformes, but their exact relationships in
780-549: The ancestors of galliformes were small and lived in the ground (unlike water for Anseriformes ) which protected them from the blast and destruction. Fossils of these galliform-like birds originate in the Late Cretaceous , most notably those of Austinornis lentus . Its partial left tarsometatarsus was found in the Austin Chalk near Fort McKinney, Texas , dating to about 85 million years ago (Mya). This bird
819-528: The cultural health of Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora was undertaken as a combined effort by Ngai Tahu and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). As well as holding high cultural significance to the indigenous population Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora is also rated as a nationally significant site for recreation. The lake is currently used for a wide range of water and land based activities. Many of these activities are reliant on
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#1732788068705858-621: The earliest representatives of living galliform families apparently belong to the Phasianidae – the youngest family of galliforms, the other families of Galliformes must be at least of Early Eocene origin but might even be as old as the Late Cretaceous. The ichnotaxon Tristraguloolithus cracioides is based on fossil eggshell fragments from the Late Cretaceous Oldman Formation of southern Alberta , Canada, which are similar to chachalaca eggs, but in
897-1027: The females, with often elaborate courtship behaviors that include strutting, fluffing of tail or head feathers, and vocal sounds. They are mainly nonmigratory. Several species have been domesticated during their long and extensive relationships with humans. The name galliformes derives from " gallus ", Latin for " rooster ". Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds , landfowl , gallinaceous birds , or galliforms . Galliforms and waterfowl (order Anseriformes ) are collectively called fowl . The living Galliformes were once divided into seven or more families . Despite their distinctive appearance, grouse and turkeys probably do not warrant separation as families due to their recent origin from partridge - or pheasant -like birds. The turkeys became larger after their ancestors colonized temperate and subtropical North America , where pheasant-sized competitors were absent. The ancestors of grouse, though, adapted to harsh climates and could thereby colonize subarctic regions. Consequently,
936-428: The former Banks Peninsula District, which now (since 2006) is a ward in the city of Christchurch . The lake holds high historical and cultural significance to the indigenous Māori population and the traditional Māori name Te Waihora , means spreading waters . It has officially had a dual English/Māori name since at least 1938. Currently Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora is a brackish bar-type waterbody, commonly called
975-501: The lake as part of Canterbury plains, which were then flooded, forming a bay, then an estuary and finally a lake / lagoon / waituna. Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora has been a revered mahinga kai (site of traditional significance for food and other natural resources) for Māori since ancient times and remains central to the lives of many Māori who now live in the area. Under the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement 1998, ownership of
1014-489: The lake bed of Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora was returned to Te Rūnanga O Ngāi Tahu, who are now able to reassert their rangatiratanga (ownership) over this significant site through direct control of its management. The traditional name for the lake was Te Kete Ika o Rākaihautū meaning "the fish basket of Rākaihautū ". The food sources of Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora were once abundant and included tuna (eels), pātiki (flounder) and aua (mullet). Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora
1053-460: The lake in 2009. Results for E. coli levels are also poor with 42% of sites associated with the lake failing national recreational guide standards for water quality. No sites achieved the shellfish/food gathering standard or were fit for drinking. Waituna A waituna is a freshwater coastal lagoon on a mixed sand and gravel (MSG) beach, formed where a braided river meets a coastline affected by longshore drift . This type of waterbody
1092-586: The lake, as can some tern species such as the Caspian Tern , White-Fronted Tern and Black-Fronted Tern , and the rarer White-Winged Tern . A wide variety of other birds can also be seen in and around the lake, including White-Faced Heron , Eastern Cattle Egret , Royal Spoonbill , Australasian Harrier , Pukeko , Spotless Crake , Sacred Kingfisher , as well as various introduced Galliforms and both native and introduced Passerines . A variety of rare vagrant birds have also appeared at Lake Ellesmere over
1131-522: The lake. Lake Ellesmere is also home to a wide variety of birds , with over 200 species (if extinct species are also included) having been recorded at the lake and its direct surroundings. Lake Ellesmere has become a well-known bird watching location for certain rare species, such as the Australasian Bittern , Marsh Crake and Kotuku . Wading birds of various species frequent the lake and its surroundings, including native species such as
1170-897: The length of the east coast of the South Island : from Wairua Lagoon and Lake Grassmere / Kapara Te Hau in Marlborough , through Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora and Coopers Lagoon / Muriwai in central Canterbury , and Washdyke Lagoon and Wainono Lagoon in South Canterbury, to Waituna Lagoon in Southland . Waituna Lagoon is one of the finest examples. The name translates as “water of eels”. Both waituna and hapua are fed by small rivers flowing out to an MSG beach, on an eroding wave-dominated coast, with strong longshore drift. Hapua are long-lived river mouth lagoons, whereas waituna are ephemeral coastal "lakes" that do not persist over geological time. Hapua persist because
1209-566: The main survivors of the K-T Event , that killed off the rest of the dinosaurs. The dominant birds of the dinosaur era were the enantiornithes , toothed birds that dominated the trees and skies. Unlike those enantiornithes, the ancestors of the galliformes were a niche group that were toothless and ground-dwelling. When the asteroid impact killed off all non-avian dinosaurs, and the dominant birds, it destroyed all creatures that lived in trees and on open ground. The enantiornithes were wiped out, but
Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-688: The mesites are probably closely related to pigeons and doves . The relationships of the hoatzin are entirely obscure, and it is usually treated as a monotypic order Opisthocomiformes to signify this. The fossil record for the Galliformes is incomplete. Megapodiidae – megapodes (7 genera, 21 extant species) [REDACTED] Cracidae – chachalacas, curassows, guans (11 genera, 57 species) [REDACTED] Numididae – guineafowl (4 genera, 8 species) [REDACTED] Odontophoridae – New World quail (10 genera, 34 species) [REDACTED] Phasianidae – pheasants & allies (54 genera, 188 species) [REDACTED] Galloanserae -like birds were one of
1287-487: The most abundant bird species on the lake. Introduced waterfowl species include Mallards , feral Greylag Geese , Canada Geese , Mute Swan and Black Swan , with the latter being another one of the lake's most abundant birds. Cormorants / Shags such as the Black Shag , Pied Shag and Little Shag are commonly seen in the lake. Black-Backed Gull , Red-Billed Gull and Black-Billed Gull can be seen in and around
1326-610: The order cannot be determined: For a long time, the pheasants, partridges, and relatives were indiscriminately lumped in the Phasianidae, variously including or excluding turkeys, grouse, New World quail, and guineafowl, and divided into two subfamilies – the Phasianinae (pheasant-like forms) and the Perdicinae (partridge-like forms). This crude arrangement was long considered to be in serious need of revision, but even with modern DNA sequence analyses and cladistic methods,
1365-480: The river mouth turns sideways and carves out cliffs on a daily basis, whereas waituna form when gravel creates a barrier that impedes the drainage of freshwater. Natural openings through the barrier are rare, although artificial openings are common. Over geological time, provided natural coastal processes are able to operate unimpeded, the "lake" floods and infills, or the barrier disappears with coastal erosion. Waituna are low in salt, high in water that lies around for
1404-448: The years, with some of these including Little Stint , Long-Toed Stint , Stilt Sandpiper , and most notably Cox's Sandpiper . Australian Terns are also rare visitors to the lake. The lake is a dynamic feature, it has been up to twice its present depth and area in the past, and it has progressed through various stages as it has developed into the brackish bar-type lagoon that we see today. In chronological order these stages began with
1443-410: Was a famed mahinga manu wai māori (place for taking waterfowl). However, today the richness of Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora as a mahinga kai has been largely lost to farmland. While it remains a mahinga kai , its yields have been significantly reduced due to the periodic drainage of the lake in order to maintain reclaimed land and pasture. In the pre-Pākehā past however, the control of the lake's level
1482-423: Was quite certainly closely related to Galliformes, but whether it was a part of these or belongs elsewhere in the little-known galliform branch of Galloanserae is not clear. However, in 2004, Clarke classified it as a member of the larger group Pangalliformes , more closely related to chickens than to ducks, but not a member of the crown group that includes all modern galliformes. Another specimen, PVPH 237, from
1521-484: Was retained at an optimum water level for the birdlife that lived there and provided kai (food) for many people. The lake was only drained when its level exceeded the normal maximum. Kōrari ( flax stalks) were dragged across the sand to make the initial opening of the water to the sea. Such carefully monitored drainage of the lake took place for several hundred years, consistently maintaining Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora's abundant supply of kai . In 2007 an assessment of
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