Underwater swimming by chicks of the variable oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor) and the Chatham Island oystercatcher (H. chathamensis)

Reports on his observations of underwater swimming behaviour exhibited by variable oystercatcher chicks in the Wade River, Auckland, on 23 Dec 1993 and by Chatham Island oystercatcher chicks at Tioriori, Chatham Island, on 17 Jan 2002. Cites other studies overseas of underwater swimming by chicks in the shorebird species to avoid being captured by avian predators or people, and notes that his observation documents this behaviour in endemic New Zealand species. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.