Ornithology
Stead acquired a detailed knowledge of the birds of Canterbury, as well as of New Zealand’s offshore islands through many field trips. He built up an important collection of skins and eggs which was bequeathed to the Canterbury Museum. He wrote many papers for the Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand and other journals, as well as a book, The Life Histories of New Zealand Birds, published in 1932. He named two new subspecies of Fernbird and a new subspecies of Bush Wren from Stewart Island (Stead’s Bush Wren, Xenicus longipes variabilis). His field studies and contributions to natural history and ornithology were recognised in 1948 by his election as a fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Stead died at his home in Ilam, survived by his wife and Roland. In 2011, Roland left $110,000 for the maintenance of the Ilam gardens.
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