THE BELLBIRD’S SONG

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 286, 29 August 1933, Page 9

THE BELLBIRD’S SONG

Broadcasting Suggested Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, August 28, Within fifty miles of Christchurch in an area of about a hundred acres of native bush there are large numbers of bellbirds whose joyous song has given great delight to many people, and a suggestion has been made to the Radio Broadcasting Board that it might be possible to broadcast the song of these birds direct to listeners throughout the Dominion. Mr. R. B. Owen, who made the suggestion to the Broadcasting Board, said yesterday that he had heard the birds singing and it was a source of such great delight to him that he thought it would be a wonderful thing if radio listeners should share in the pleasure. He had been told that there were no Insuperable difficulties in the way, as a land line could be taken right up to the bush and the conditions were ideal for picking up the song of the birds. “If this broadcast can be arranged,” said Mr. Owen, “and the singing of the birds transmitted as perfectly as I have heard it, I believe it would be one of the finest things that have ever been put over the air. I think it would be unwise, however, to reveal the locality of this natural habitat of the bellbirds because of the risk of frightening them away, but I believe it is one of the largest colonies to be found in the Domiion.” The Broadcasting Board whs very grateful to Mr. Owen for his information regarding the location of a large colony of bellbirds, said Mr. J. Mackenzie, station director of 3YA, yesterday afternoon. Such a broadcast had been in the minds of the service for some years, and with this fresh information the matter was now being given serious consideration. There were difficulties in the way, and permission would have to be given by the board before anything definite could be done. The best way, of course, to bring the song of the birds to listeners would be to record them and then broadcast the records, said Mr. Mackenzie. However, the board did not have a recording apparatus and the only practicable method at present under review would be to utilise ihe portable transmitter operated in giving descriptions of important golf matches and similar events. In this way the songs of the birds could be picked up and broadcast to a near-by station, whence it could be transmitted by landline to the main station. The major difficulty would be to get the birds at a suitable time, as at certain seasons and under certain weather conditions the birds could not be heard to advantage. Many suggestions that such a broadcast should be arranged had been made in the past, and if it could be carried out, it would certainly be a very de- . elded attraction, said Mr. McKenzie.