UNTAMEABLE KIWI

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1923, Page 13

UNTAMEABLE KIWI

observed as captive

NOCTURNAL PRANKS UNDER

COLOURED LIGHTS

WHY iTCT GRAMOPHONE AND "MOVIE" RECORDS.

In "The Young- Citizen," an Auckland monthly devoted to the interests of young people, Mr. W. S. Smith, R-.A.0.V., writes concerning the kiwi a series of articles'that ought to .be read by every lover of Nature. We quote a portion. ■ The nocturnal, raucous-voiced, grub-eating, untameable kiwi, now a very rare New Zealander; . has been specially studied in captivity by Mr. Smith, whb took observations while lying in the kiwi house at night, sometimes using coloured lights to illuminate the bird's movements. The birds fed well-—one could eat a pint of huhu grub in a night—but never ceased trynig to escape, and always fought the hand that fed. ' -

FEMALE OP THE SPECIES , . -STRONGER.

When lying on the floor, in the. darkness, in the Kiwi house; and having the kiwis wandering over me, I began and conducted a, series of experiments to test the hearing, scent, sight, • a.nd leading habits of these remarkable birds. I had long been impressed that much remained to be known of-their irerieral and nesting habita which could be ascertained approximately by supplying conditions near to those of their forest home. The sexes vary much in size and condition, according to the nature and food supply of the area of bush that they inhabit. When the kiwis attain maturity, under favourable conditions—which requires from two to three years—they are then very muscular and strong birds for their size. They are voracious feeders, and consume much solid food nightly when supplied to them. The females being larger and stronger than the- males require more food. Owing to the difficulty in obtaining a sufficient quantity-of their natural food, including earthworms, huhu, and other large beetle grubs, slugs and larvae of the several-.large and splendid root-feedmg species of Porina moths, I continued to feed them on beef, mutton, and the flash, of healthy rats when my dog caught them. They partook freely jO f liver, and the cleaned and washed intestines of cattle and sheep. AH these foods had to be cut in small pieces swallowable by .the kiwis, otherwise they could not have eaten them. I may mention that the larvae of the Porina moths are-the so-called "vegetat-ing-caterpillars" and the-hosts of the remarkable fungus, the sphoeria robertsii of mycologists. The< fungus grows from the .back of: the larvae's head and, continuing to draw its ■'■sustenance from tho body, it consumes the viscera when tl.e larva dice, leaving little more than its slun with the mature fungus attached. A,PINT OF HUHU A NIGHT. Tho kiwis' senee of;scent and hearing aro probably more highly developed than ™ an i' other known species .of bird When strange birds ■ from their wild haunU- were placed in the house, and they had all become- reconciled, they, sharply recognised each other's sniffing I and scenting ac they emerged from their dark recesses in the evening, xne first bird -to begin sniffing •-'generally awoke the others, when they all soon appeared on the floor of their house to feed and i drink amicably . together. Tho foodvessel and- drinking trough were placed on each side of the 10-inch equare door givir.g_ access to the grass yard. 'On emerging m the evening they generally ruffled their feathers," stretched their necks and k> gs , then walked direct, to the food dish. It required two or three nigl,t s tor some^of the birds to acquire a taste for fresh beef »iid mutton, but they soon afterwards-began to consume Urge quantities of fat and lean of bo^h meats. When hungry they feed rapidly, and produce a loud gobbling sound when swallowing their food. prefer earthworms^nd huhu 'grub, to Lvotl" natural food A healthy female would consume a pmt of huhn every niVht ff procurable. 1W relished LKed nee, and, when placed in a shallow dish of water they would pick out every seed, TW liked hard-boiled eU til cheese, but would not eat brea^eff pTrndge or potatoes. ■ I. occasionally put jouiig birds, hzardsi and mice alive into .their food d lS h, but in no sense did they ever injure one of them. On the highly sensitive Ml touching these small lilinwimabttey startled and sniffed & nd/w™% kicked, savagely at the LIGHT THROUGH COLOUEED' GLASS. j

Wlicn conducting experiments and observing then- habits, I nß ed a dim light vnth severa shades of coloured gIL including blue, green, red, and yel nf^t T,f^ 7 ? ne colour on •** night All the colours used . did not seem fco affect their eyesight appreciably or disconcert them in any sense. On the nights devoted to experiments with yanous foods I sat on a folded sack -t c^ ncr,.¥ hind the which cast its dim light over the whole floor wbere^all the birds could be seen feed Inf dn2}F ln5' and: disporting themselves, lie drinking trough was 18? n SH™ fe m dee P> and w« daily ? I + V t°, ", Water; When drinking, the birds often dipped their head under water and produced a bubblins and gurgling sound. On withdrawing^ the head from the water they raised the long bill to an angle of 50 degrees to .60 degrees, and, forcing. the water from the mouth and throat, caused it to run down the neck .to wet and- wash the body. The process ,was continued from five to ten minutes or more, until the body and feathers were well-wetted After a vigorous ruffling of the feathers and shaking of the body,- they would Ro out to the grass yard, and almost immediately attack the' wire-netting work to escape and bo free. No birds workmore determinedly and persistently than the kiwi to gain their freedom; When attacking the wire-netting they frequently paw at it with the right foot, and ocasionally endeavour to sap under it This has to be safeguarded by sinking the wire-netting two feet deep in the ground. On tiring, of attacking-and sapping, as explained, they would wander to and fro on a narrow path in the yard for an hour or more, and a^ain renew the attacks on the wire-netting Of the fifteen birds that I experimented with all remained irreconcila hie to captivity and unrelenting in their efforts to escape.

FIGHTERS:,A DUEL WITH A GAME-COCK.

Notwithstanding frequent careful handling and fondling the birds of various ages to tame them they were wholly untamable. The snow-white chicks, only a few days old, used their feet freely, and angrily snapped the soft tender hill when molested. On several occasions I placed a full-grown domestic game-cock in the grass yard in the evening to observe his reception, and test the kiwi's eyesight. On entering

the yard in the dusk the kiwi—a.'large and vicious female—assailed him, and would have killed him had I not intervened. The kiwi had kicked half the feathers off his back and breast, and had wounded him severely when I stopped the melee. The sparrow-hawk is extremely violent when its nest -is approached or disturbed, hut tl>e kiwis' ferocity and rage, when fighting, quite surpasses it: When two kiwis engage in combat they rush furiously at each other striking rapidly with the' right foot. The impact generally cause* both to roll over each time until they are exhausted.

The call of the kiwi somewhat resembles that of the weka, but is harsher, and not so loud or far-reaching. While sitting on the floor of their house observing" the birds one or other would call, for a few seconds, within three or four feet of me. ,When calling/ the head is held at a slightly upward angle with the bill wide open. The call thus heard so near is raucous and discordant. On hearing a responsive hail from other kiwis in the bush in Pukekura Park the caller would listen attentively until the response ceased.. Moving picture films should be obtained showing these remarkable birds not only in their native haunts, but also in other places under conditions where artificial light could be used for the purpose of observing their peculiarities.- Gramophone records of their calls should, in addition, be preserved for bird lovers of the future.