Murray Williams

Research interests

The ecology, management, exploitation and conservation of New Zealand’s waterfowl and their wetland habitats are research areas of long-standing interest. There are many management challenges facing the conservation of threatened waterfowl such as blue duck Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos and brown teal Anas chlorotis which well-directed research can support. Similarly, gamebird management remains poorly supported by modern research of the birds’ ecology, the management of their habitats, and the sociology of hunters. I am keen to promote student research in these fields.

I had a long-time career as a waterfowl biologist with the New Zealand Wildlife Service and Department of Conservation before joining the School of Biological Sciences to teach restoration ecology. While I have now retired from School’s academic staff and cannot provide formal supervision to students, I maintain a regular presence on campus and am always happy to respond to student interest and enquiries.

Selected publications

Williams, M. 2015. Formidable carpal weaponry of Anas chathamica, Chatham Island’s extinct flightless duck. Notornis 62: 113-120.

Williams, M. 2015. Size and flight capability of Anas chathamica, an extinct duck from Chatham Island, New Zealand Wildfowl 65: 75-99.

Guay, P-J, Williams, M.; Robinson, R.W. 2015. Lingering genetic evidence of North American mallards introduced to New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 39: 103-109.

Williams, M; Tennyson, AJD; Sim, D. 2014. Island differentiation of New Zealand’s extinct mergansers (Anatidae, Mergini), with description of a new species from Chatham Island. Wildfowl 64: 3-34.

Holdaway, R.N.; Williams, M.; Hawke, D.J. 2013. A comparison of the pre-human and present isotopic niches of brown teal (Anas chlorotis): implications for conservation. Notornis 60: 233-244.

Williams, M.; Holdaway, R.N.; Rogers, K.M. 2012. Feeding environments of New Zealand’s extinct merganser as revealed by stable isotope analyses. Wildfowl 62: 190-203.

Dyer, J.; Williams, M. 2010. An introduction most determined: Mallard (Anasplatyrhynchos) to New Zealand. Notornis 57: 178-195.

Williams, M.; Basse, B. 2006. Indigenous grey ducks and introduced mallards: process and outcome of a deliberate encounter. Acta Zoological Sinica (Current Zoology) 52 (Suppl.): 579–582.

Barker, R.; Caithness, T.; Williams, M. 2005. Survival rates of Australasian shoveler ducks in New Zealand. Journal of Wildlife Management 69(4): 1508-1515.

Rhymer, J.; Williams, M.; Kingsford, R. 2004. Implications of phylogeography and population genetics for subspecies taxonomy of grey (Pacific black) duck and its conservation in New Zealand. Pacific Conservation Biology 10:57-66.

Godfrey, J.; Williams, M.; Bryant, D.M. 2003. Energetics of blue ducks in rivers of differing physical and biological characteristics. Pp. 35-65 in: Williams, M. (comp.) Conservation applications of measuring energy expenditure of New Zealand birds: assessing habitat quality and costs of carrying radio transmitters. Science for Conservation 214, DoC, Wellington.

King, T.M.; Williams, M.; Lambert, D. 2000. Ducks, dams and DNA: identifying the effects of a hydro-electric scheme on New Zealand’s endangered blue duck. Conservation genetics 1:103-113.