NATIVE BIRDS.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20916, 25 July 1933, Page 12

NATIVE BIRDS.

. PRESERVATION URGED. ADDRESS BY MR L. W. M'CASKILL A pica for greater consideration o£ the problem of preserving the native birds of the Dominion was made by Mr L. W. McCaskill, vice-president of ! the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society, in an address at the , Teachers' Training College last night. The birds were very valuable as an • economic factor as well as from a scientific point of view, he stated, and he urged that attention be given to the establishment of sanctuaries as a step towards their preservation. The native birds were economically important by reason of the check they imposed on the extarordinarily rapid growth of insects, Mr McCaskill remarked. After detailing the enormous amount of food that insects consumed in comparison with other forms of life, lie said that if there were no insectivorous birds there would certainly be no crops. With 80 per cent, of the native birds of New Zealand insectivorous, from tlixs figure some idea could be gained of the value that would accrue from their preservation. Thirty years ago, he said, practically all the North Island and a great part j of the South Island was covered with forest. Then native birds were prolific, but to-day 67 per cent, of the forest in the Dominion had disappeared, and with it the birds. Since then there had also been the importation of animals for the benefit of sportsmen and their increase at a tremendous late had opened a great source of danger, io understand the damage done by deer, for example, one had to know the forest as it was before ■^i r , vcl " e It was then possible to realise what a destructive element they had proved to ground birds. More Dangers. I The spread of man's activities in cultivating swamp land had also nad an adverse effect on the native birds which nested in these areas, he continued. Another activity which had greatly prejudiced bird life was the introduction of pests. Captain ♦ r£u br ,° u ght with him the black *£? ? ra bbit had been introduced, j To eliminate the rabbit stoats and weasels had been imported; but these found the birds an easier prey than the rabbit. ~:pPL lTi o w^, w ere considered a necessity when they were brought into the country, and they still did a remarkable amount of good in destroying insect .life. . The growth o£ crops especially m Canterbury, was dependent very much on the activities of the sparrows. But when these birds began to become troublesome, the Ger"\f n ? w } was introd uced. Although it attacked sparrows, it attacked with greater vigour the native birds, and had proved to be one of their worst enemies. Mr McCaskill then dealt interestingly hirWc n n i ar V V ty P cs of New Zealand birds, illustrating his remarks with an excellent series of lantern slides, many showing the birds in natural colour.