WAYS OF THE WILD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 199, 23 August 1930, Page 1 (Supplement)

WAYS OF THE WILD.

A NATURALIST'S NOTEBOOK.

STAKI/INGS' ROOSTING PLACES

(By A. T. PYCROFT.)

Mr. T. R. Clarkso'n, of Auckland, sends me the following interesting notes on starlings' roosting places in the Hauraki Gulf. "I was extremely interested to read in Saturday's 'Star' of July 12 your reference to the meeting places of starlings, and I would like to tell you of my own observations, which may be of interest, since they confirm your generalisation regarding the preference of starlings for small islands near the coast. I recently acquired a small island betwee'n Hawaii and Mullet Point; possibly you are familiar with this place because from what I have seen I would find it hard to believe that there is another roosting place for starlings about the Hauraki Gulf. While camping there in January last I was an interested witness of the evening visits of the starlings. Hound about 7 p.m. they came, not in flocks, but in streams of flocks, from every quarter, from the mainland, from Kawau, and in other directions, coming into sight apparently out of the sea. Their common goal was a group of about a dozen high pine trees, and after brief but loucl preliminary chatter they settled down fairly quietly for the night. If disturbed, it is no exaggeration to say the air was. black with birds, and the beat of their wings was like a strong gust of wind in the treetops. It was interesting to think that, during the day, when the only birds seen or heard were a few fantails or war: biers that at night the place could be the rendezvous for so many starlings. I hesitate to estimate their numbers, but there were certainly many tens of thousands. Later on I "hope to observe their habits at other times of the year." Mr. Clarkson's interesting notes are further proof of the starling's preference for island roosting places, and give further indication of the vast numbers of these birds adjacent to Auckland. Rapid Increase. The starling was introduced to New Zealand in the 'sixties, and in a few years increased to hundreds of thousands. It has few, if any, natural enemies. Many island roosting places are known. Mr. Clarkson has added a new rendezvous; others are the Cavalles Isla'nds, near Wliangaroa, one of the Noises islets in the Hauraki Gulf, the Sugar Loaf Islands, New Plymouth, and Ivapiti Island. Soames Island, in Wellington Harbour, Avas also a roostingplace, but during the war, when interned German prisoners were placed there, tin? birds to a great extent abandoned it on account of the number of people about. . /There are many roosti'ng places on the mainland of the North and South Islands. Mr. H. J. Fowler, writing from Marton iii 1912, states: "The daily evening migrations began here about seven or eight years ago. At first the flocks were small and infrequent; now they pass in battalions. Oil'calm evenings the air is filled with tlio rushing sound of their wings." Mr. Fowler has _ see'ii flocks a' mile long, all-the .birds. ' flying in line like, soldiers marching in "ranks. These appear to be made up of flocks, rising at intervals , across tlio country ancl uniting in the air. The estimated ' number was hundreds of thousands.

11l Marton the birds fly south-west and it is stated that they go to the manuka scrub oil the coast. At one place a piece of native bush, about four or live acres in area, was used as a roosting place by the birds, and so great were their numbers that they were killing the bnsli with their droppings. They bad to be driven away by firing guns at roosting time. There is 'no doubt that the birds prefer small islets off the coast, where they are undisturbed. 'I have previously stat-ed that it is only after the breeding season, when the young are capable flyers, that the birds assemble in flocks and resort to common roosting sites. Effect on Insect Life. The Hon. G. M. Thomson states: "The effort produced on the insect life of the country by starlings, and through that on the vegetable and other animal life, is incalculable. They have nearly destroyed the grasshoppers, which used formerly to be so abundant, and many other groups of insects must have suffered equally. They also remove great quantities of ticks from sheep and cattle, and help to keep insect pests from them. Indirectly they are credited by many observers with having exterminated pheasants, partridges, introduced quail, wild turkeys, etc., from many districts, by having so eaten out the insect food, that these larger birds are now unable to rear their young broods. They are also credited with driving the Indian minah out of all the southern towns where formerly they were established." Accused of Being Fruit Stealers. In many places they are accused of being fruit stealers, attacking nob only small fruits, but also pears, plums and peaches, and some observers have thought this was a new trait developed in their new surroundings. But it is familiar enough in the northern countries from which the starlings came. There is a well known passage in Eabelais' "Gargantua" in which it is stated that "at this season the shepherds were withdrawn from the hills in order to keep the starlings off the grapes." It has also been recorded that they feed 011 the berries of some of our native trees and have frequently been seen with their bills in flax flowers, suggesting that they were feeding on the nectar. I am of the opinion that they have an effect on the food supply of such of our native birds as are nectar, berry and insect feeders, and regret that the unique native bird life of this country has been subjugated by the introduction of many birds which we could do without. Dr. Cleland, referring to the starling in Australia, states: "Summed up, it may be stated that tjie starling does marked harm to .fruit gardens and that it does some harm to crops, but that it does 6ome good in destroying certain insect pests, such as cutworms, when these are present in abundance and perhaps other food is scarce. The starling has s P I ' l ea ., very extensively over Australia,, an * is a prolific breeder. Moreovei, i 3 feres with the breeding of our i » seefci^ r ; d us t o'approach that it wily and so to eliminate it will ne . ve f, or even to diminish fv0 !" ite numbers, whatever human virtues are unquestionably less than its defects, and no encouragement whatever should be given to its appearance in am part of the country. On Hie other hand any discouragement offered is likely to have little effect."