Stomach contents

[First paragraphs...]
Previous work on the foods of the brushtailed opossum (Trichosurus vulpecula) in New Zealand has been concerned with the choice of plants taken in indigenous bush. Although clover was sometimes recorded as a preferred food the conclusion was reached that opossums "are not grass-eating animals" (Mason 1958), and that "the opossum is not, and will never become an important grassland pest" (Howard 1963).

At-sea shifts in food quality and availability can affect populations of marine birds; however, it is difficult to evaluate the impacts of changes in prey composition and availability without some baseline information on diet composition. The little penguin (Eudyptula minor) is a common inshore-feeding seabird in New Zealand and Australia. To date, only two dietary studies have been undertaken on the little penguin in New Zeaalnd, at two widely separated locations.