The Quaternary fossil avifauna of Southland, South Island, New Zealand

All known Late Quaternary fossil avifaunas derived, at various times during the last century, from cave, swamp and dune deposits in Southland, South I sland, New Zealand, are described. Fifty eight native bird species are reco rded from the deposits, notably including the fourth record of Dendroscanso r decurvirostris. The few leiopelmatid and sphenodontid bones are also Bate d. Taphonomic biases Limit comparison of faunal compositions across site-ty pes to moas. However, the moa faunas reveal that quite different avifaunas Lived in each of the dunes, alluvial swamplands and the well-drained low hi lls, which probably reflects different vegetation communities in each. Sout hland supported a mosaic of grassland, shrubland and tail, closed-canopy po docarp forest during the Holocene. Radiocarbon dates on bone gelatin are pr esented that indicate the fauna of Castle Rocks is of Late-Holocene age, th e fauna from Hamiltons Swamp at Winton is of mid-Holocene age, and that fro m Kauana is >37 080 years old. It is the oldest swamp fauna so far identifi ed in New Zealand.