WELCOME SWALLOWS RAISE THREE CHICKS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29724, 18 January 1962, Page 8

WELCOME SWALLOWS RAISE THREE CHICKS

A pair of Australian welcome swallows, which were reported in November by Mr R. F. Savill in a letter to “The Press,” have successfully reared a brood of three chicks at the edge of Lake Ellesmere, according to Mr E. G. Turbott. assistant director of the Canterbury Museum, who has observed the birds regularly since the original report. Mr Turbott said that this was believed to be the first record of nesting welcome swallows in the South Island This was the common species in Australia, where it bred in all settled areas, building its nest commonly under tl.e eaves of buildings, in verandas and similar situations. It was about 6lin long with long slender wings and forked tail. The head was brick red and the back royal blue. The nest found in Canterbury was situated in the interior of a disused launch anchored in the lake, and much trouble had been taken to protect the birds by Mr A. C. Young, the launch's owner, Mr Turbott said. Cooperation had been given by Mr L. Hoff and Mr R. Novis. rangers of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, and by Mr C. Johnson and other residents of the district.

The birds were seen flying regularly into the launch, the visits being most frequent during the last month when the young were being fed on insects by both parents. Mr Turbott said that much of the credit for recording the succe«sful departure of the young with their parents was due to Mrs I K. Buchanan, of Rakaia Huts, who had travelled to the site to make regular observations and had seen the chicks early this week in company with their parents. In 1968 at least three nests of the welcome swallows were recorded in Northland and it was row well established in this area, said Mr Turbott There had also been reports from as far south as Foxton and the species was evidently spreading in the North Island The pair at Lake Ellesmere had probably come from the North Island though it was possible that there had been a new colonisation of the South Island from Australia As at least one pair had now successfully bred in the district the birds would probably stay and build up in numbers. There had been reports to suggest that at

least three pairs might have been present in the area this year. In Australia the species was partly migratory but observers in Northland had reported that the birds remained all through the winter. said Mr Turbott.

The arrival and establishment of Australian birds in New Zealand seemed to offer little difficulty, for there had been several records of this in the last 15 to 20 years The best known example was the white-faced heron, a common Australian species, which now extended throughout New Zealand. It was first recorded in small groups In 1940 and an invasion across the Tasman Sea must have occurred in that and subsequent years.

Other species which had arrived and begun to breed in New Zealand comparatively recently were the spurwinged clover, the royal spoonbill and Australian coot. There were also other records of Australian birds which had arrived as stragglers but had apparently not bred, said Mr Turbott.