NEW SPECIES OF ALPINE WREN

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27036, 11 May 1953, Page 3

NEW SPECIES OF ALPINE WREN

DISCOVERY IN 1947 REPORTED (New Zealand Press Association) NELSON, May 9. A Nelson sportsman, Mr Newton McConochie. who' is president of the New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association, appears to have discovered the new alpine wren in 1947. A description of a species of wren which had characteristics between those of the bush and rock wrens was given by Mr McConochie in a report published in the “New Zealand Fishing and Shooting Gazette” in January, 1950. Of a bird seen in the Lugar Burn area, during a stalking trip in 1947, Mr McConochie wrote: “Varieties of birds recorded include the weka. kaka, pigeon, kea, fantail, tomtit, rifleman, yellowhead, bush canary, yellow-fronted parakeet, grey warbler, big bush wren, bellbird, tin, grey duck, blue mountain duck, paradise duck, crested grebe, teal, swan, large black shag, and black river shag. “In addition, a species of wren was seen at the head of the Lugar Burn. There were two small colonies, one at either side of the valley, and both located on the bushline. This bird had many characteristics of the big, dark green wren, and the mountain rock wren. The markings of the plumage also bore the characteristics of both species. It gave every indication of being a cross between the two varieties which had developed a subspecies.” There can be little doubt that the wrens reported by Mr McConochie were the same species as those that Mr Thane Riney’s party observed.