SUMNER HEAD REFUGE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29222, 4 June 1960, Page 12

SUMNER HEAD REFUGE

Spotted Shags, Other Birds

Sumner head has now been declared a w’ild-life refuge. Mr E. G. Turbott assistant director of the Canterbury Museum, said that shooting had been reported earlier in the area and representations had been made to reserve the cliffs, which form nesting grounds for spotted shags, redbilled gulls, and white-fronted terns.

“The combined seabird colonies are amongst the most spectacular in New Zealand, although not readily accessible to the observer, because of the danger of approaching the cliffs which are everywhere precipitous,” Mr Turbott said.

It was especially pleasing that the spotted shag had received this additional protection. It was still not widely realised that this and all other shags (except the large black shag) were now totally protected, Mr Turbott said. A special study of the spotted shag at several colonies on the coast of Banks peninsula has been made by Mr 'turbott over the last two years. This included observations at a large colony at Tumbledown Bay on the south coast of the peninsula. Visitors to the new bird hall at the Canterbury Museum will be familiar with the nesting scene there as it is the subject ot one of the habitat groups that are a feature of the hall. “At this time of the year, spotted shags are scattered along the Banks Peninsula coast and some even as far north at Motunau and south to Timaru. However a few may be seen on the cliffs in winter,” Mr Turbott said. “At present most of the birds have a drab grey plumage; but, although it is still months before the nesting season, there are already some showing the early stages of transformation to breeding plumage. This is assumed in July. It can be described as a startling combination of silver-grey, blue-black and white. The legs are bright yellow. An array of spiky white plumes decorates the head and neck and gives the birds a strange dishevelled appearance. The birds lose the plumes before the laying of their eggs in September and gradually revert to the drab grey.” Mr Turbott said it was of specif 1 interest to follow the breeding cycle of this bird in Canterbury, where it apparently nested later in the year than in Cook Strait and northern areas. The breeding season was also shorter in Canterbury than in the north. The reasons for these differences, in nesting season were not well understood; but it seemed probable that they were related to the annual cycle of the crustaceans and small fish upon which the shags lived.