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Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 296, 13 September 1927, Page 3

Two or three years ago a little colony of pukekos, one of the most beautiful and interesting of New Zealand native birds, took up their abode at Lake Rotokare (the Barrett Road lagoon). Four of them have been frequently observed, and it was hoped that they would breed and multiply in those ideal surroundings. On a recent afternoon, however, one of them came to an untimely end at the hands of a man with a gun. Fortunately Mr. Cowling, who is the official ranger, happened to be close at hand He heard the shot saw the bird, and secured it, and also saw a man whom ho followed and was able to get near enough to identify him and the car in which he drove away Information has been given (o the police, and Court proceedings will follow, pending which further comment must bo withheld, except to say that to shoot a pukeko deliberately is an act of the grossest vandalism Black swans and Muscovy duck liberated at Lake Rotokare have met with similar fate but the pukeko, once very plentiful in Taranaki (states the “Iferald”) is now almost extinct in the district About two years ago two were shot in the Inglewood district and except lor those at Lake Rotokare we know of no others in tins neighbourhood, its natural liabi tat being among the toitoi in swampy grounds, often found around lagoons. It is an extremely handsome bird ra ther larger than the more familiar weka with red beak and comb, glossy black body with a beautiful rich blue breast white tail feathers, and long red leas It is said that no Maori will ever kill a pukeko. which he regards as almost a sacred bird.