Bird’s eye view of Auckland

Press, 28 November 1980, Page 11

Bird’s eye view of Auckland

“City of Birds,” the first in the “Best of Contact” series on Network Two on Sunday, is a documentary film about the wildlife of Auckland. This city has a more varied birdlife than the native forests. The birds live close to man breeding on city buildings and beside the motorways. Intimate camera portraits feature the native birds as they adapt to the city and its suburbs.

The writer-producer, Gordon Ell, has combined a long-time interest in nature and photography by turning wildlife cameraman as well, to film this portrait of the birds of Auckland. The film follows the more usual birds of the city through a season of spring and summer, as they nest and raise their young. On traffic islands pukeko (purple

gallinule), white-faced heron, and pheasant survive; in the heart of the city kingfisher and swallow breed; flocks of wading birds gather on a suburban park; bush birds (like the tui) find food in town.' ' There are studies of native grey warbler, silvereyes, black swan, and shy rail. The film also shows the frenzied feeding of tems in the inner harbour and some of the European birds introduced to New Zealand. Godwit and knot which migrate to Auckland from the Siberian tundra are seen with local wading birds in a nature preserve reclaimed from a potential rubbish dump. A final sequence contributed by the nature-photogra-pher and author, Geoff Moon, features fare and unusual birds breeding within sight nd earshot of State Highway One.