Starving Seagulls Die On Southland Roads

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30369, 19 February 1964, Page 6

Starving Seagulls Die On Southland Roads

(New Zealand Press Association)

INVERCARGILL, Feb. 18. Lack of food, brought about by the long dry spell, is believed to be the cause of the deaths of hundreds of seagulls on roadsides throughout Southland.

Dead birds examined by Southland Acclimatisation Society officials yesterday showed no sign of poisoning, which was first believed to be the cause of the widespread deaths, but they were obviously suffering from lack of food. One bird which was on the point of death was fed and recovered so quickly that it was possible to liberate it this morning. Deaths among young seagulls are not uncommon at this time of the year, but not for many years have they succumbed in such large numbers. Most roads in Southland have dead birds strewn along

them, with up to a dozen lying in heaps in some places. A motorist travelling between Dunedin and Invercargill yesterday saw dozens of birds.

The Southland Acclimatisation Society’s field staff said that the dead seagulls were young birds which had been weakened by lack of food. Dozens of them were being run over by cars as they congregated on roadsides. One of the rangers noticed about 10 dead birds lying around a packet of fish and chips which someone had tossed from a car. The birds were evidently looking for food and were too weak to fly out of the path of passing cars.

There was no trace of poison on the dead birds. No seagulls had been seen lying dead in paddocks—they were all on roadsides where they were being hit by cars.