RATS KILL SMALL BIRDS ON ISLAND

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30452, 28 May 1964, Page 12

RATS KILL SMALL BIRDS ON ISLAND

(New Zealand* Press Association)

INVERCARGIL, May 26. A fantastic number of rats on Solomon Island, in the muttonbird group, was killing off the small bird population, a Southland Acclimatisation Society ranger (Mr J. Mackintosh) said today. The rats were not threatening the muttonbird population, which could defend itself against the vermin, he said.

Mr Mackintosh, who has just returned from a rat poisoning campaign on the islands, said he had not seen a bush robin on Solomon Island. When he visited the island in previous years they had been there by the thousands. He attributed their absence to rats.

The saddleback was another bird which had been hit by rats, he said. During his visit he had not seen one young saddleback on the island. All were old birds.

On Pukaweka Island too, the small birds had been seve.rely affected. The strong-billed muttonbirds, however, could look

after themselves. The young birds were not left unattended in their burrows until they were old enough to protect themselves against intruders. To small birds the rat threat was a serious one—“every bit as bad as the Maoris first reported," said Mr Mackintosh. The huge increase in the rat population had taken ■ place over the last 12 months