WHITE HERONS’ MOVEMENTS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23944, 11 May 1943, Page 6

WHITE HERONS’ MOVEMENTS

BIRD REPORTED AT MEDBURY A brief account of the movements of the comparatively rare white herons was given by Mr Edgar F. Stead, the well-known ornithologist, when an in. quiry from a correspondent to “The Press” was referred to him last evening. The correspondent, Mr M. E. Philpott, reported that a splendid specimen of the white heron had been visiting his farm at Medbury, North Canterbury, for some days, and that it was tame and mingled with the ducks and geese. He said that during the last three years, about the same time, a heron had visited the locality, evidently making it a'resting place. Commenting on the report, Mr Stead said that the only known nesting colony in New Zealand at present was in the neighbourhood of Okarito, between Okarito and the mouth of the Wataroa river. The nesting season would start about September and the birds would stay in the vicinity till February or March, when they would begin to distribute themselves over the countryside in their winter quarters. It was these birds going to winter quarters which were usually reported from various parts ol the country, and the heron reported at Medbury, if it did not winter there, would be on its way to its usual quarters. It was probable that the herons had their individual winter locations to which they would return, - unless disturbed, for a number of years. These herons were the New Zealand form of a bird of almost universal distribution through the world. They were, he said, plentiful in New Zealand until the big colony at Okarito was shot out. They were now protected, and at the present time there were probably from 30 to 50 pairs.