Australasian Birdlife - a look at the bird world of the South Pacific region along zoogeographical lines

Damian Lage, Zurich

Tuesday 20th April 2004

Introduction:

This exhibit deals with how birds made the South Pacific islands their home, and illustrates the specific conditions under which the individual groups adapted to their habitats.

Subsequently, the most characteristic natural habitats of the four regions, Australia, Papua, New Zealand, and South Sea, are presented with their typical birdlife. Special attention is given to the drastic changes wrought by man's settlement of the region, which was fated to alter the nature of the South Pacific avifauna for ever.

The thematic story is illustrated by the best possible variety of philatelic items, most of them from the Australasian region, but some from other parts of the world. In addition to many rare covers, proofs, varieties and postal stationery, special emphasis is put on cancellations from post offices with names related to birds and their habitats. Many of these names are in Maori and Aboriginal languages, and therefore require personal study and research detecting them as relevant for the theme.

Layout of the pages is somewhat uncommon using 29 x 29 cm square sheets. This not only allows me to show larger items, but at the same time gives much more freedom for developing the story on each page: Every page can be read from the upper left to the lower right corner, with a continuing text, and all philatelic items are directly placed next to the relevant wording. This makes it necessary to include a lot of pieces which - on a first glance - one would not expect in a bird exhibit. These pieces show habitat, food, enemies, threats, and much more details always linked with the birds of that region. Adding such items to a bird exhibit makes the story much more fluent and more interesting to read.

1. Australasia - a definition from the ornithological point of view

1.1 Weird and wonderful - Australasia has its own unique ornithological character
1.2 The distribution areas of unique bird groups determine avifauna demarcation
1.3 Australasia constitutes the most secluded of all avifaunas
1.4 The Sunda archipelago forms the boundary of the Australasian bird world

Part I: Adaptation to the living conditions: a process lasting millions of years

2. The long history of settlement: birds conquer the Australasian region

2.1 Land birds from Asia invade Australia via the Sunda Islands
2.2 Seabirds and Waders from far afield ask for asylum along the South Pacific coastlines
2.3 But this immigrants aren't there first: they encounter established bird groups from Gondwanaland
2.4 The most successful settlers spread out over all the Australasian islands

3. In Evolution's studio: an independent avifauna gradually takes shape

3.1 Dispersion over the many islands creates isolated populations
3.2 This isolation provides a launching pad for evolution by allowing birds to undergo change
3.3 As a result, new regional avifaunas, constituted by optimally adapted species, come into existence

4. The state of play: regional bird worlds adapted to their habitats

4.1 The Australian region resembles a bioclimatic three-flat tenement
4.2 The Papuan region leads the fashion parade in colour and shape
4.3 The New Zealand region forms a bird world between the winds
4.4 The Polynesian region remains birds' islands of paradise until man arrives

Part II: The balance is rapidly upset: dramatic changes caused by man

5 "... and then there were nine": decimation of the native birds

5.1 Humans colonize the Australasian region and meet a rich bird world there
5.2 Chance of food and feathers encourages the South Sea people to go a-hunting
5.3 Land exploitation benefiting the settlers leads to the destruction of native habitats
5.4 Introduced predators and competitors cause an unaccustomed struggle for survival
5.5 Exotic birds captured for zoos and aviaries or for feather supplies leave a hole back home
5.6 The most vulnerable species become extinct: this upsets ecological balance in traditional habitats

6. The settlers bring their birds with them: new species flood the region

6.1 New, manmade habitats like farmlands and parks create unoccupied niches
6.2 Different motives underlie introduction of different birds
6.3 his introduced birds not only occupy the free niches but start to replace the native avifauna

7. A glimmer of hope? Nature conservancy in the South Pacific

7.1 The uniqueness of the long-established avifauna provides motivation to protect it
7.2 Environmental protection rescues many birds' habitats
7.3 Specific measures assist endangered species