A BIRD MYSTERY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 141, 18 June 1927, Page 10

A BIRD MYSTERY

THE SHINING CUCKOO

HARBINGER OF SPRING

MIGRATION QUESTION

With reference' to the paragraph which appeared in "The Post" on Wednesday, stating that a shining cuckoo, known in tho North as pipiwharauroa, had been seen, and that the bird is a migratory one, wintering in Samoa 1 and others of the South Sea Islands, usually returning to Now Zealand in the early part of the spring, it should be observed that it has never been supposed that the shining cuckoo goes to Samoa, but to islands more to tho north-west—New Caledonia, or New Guinea, or perhaps to Queensland. It is not, however, known absolutely for certain that this cuckoo does leave New Zealand at all. It has never been seen going or coming, and the only reason for supposing that it does leave New Zealand is that during certain parts of the year it is neither iseen nor heard.

It is first heard toward the end of September or the beginning of October, and is not heard after, say, February or March, and it is supposed that during the time that it is not heard it is not in New Zealand. The note referred to, however, shows that it is seen in New Zealand occasionally during the months when it is supposed to be absent. In the chapter on the cuckoo £n Andersen's "Bird Song and Now Zealand Song Birds," several instances are noted of the birds having, been seen during the winter, as, for instance, in 1920 birds were seen at Hanmer on 25th April; at Tekoa, North Auckland, on the Ist and sth of June, and at Mahunoa, near the Tararua Mountains, on the 11th July. If, 1 then, occasionally birds are able to winter here and do so, why not many? AN AUSTRALIAN, SUGGESTION. In this connection it should be noted that in a comprehensive work on Australian birds, whose issue has just been completed,. Mr. G. M. Mathews makes the following observations in connection with the shining cuckoo:—"l make a suggestion here which may seem but absurd, but may lead to good results." As no specimens in quantity which can bo truly referred to lucidus have been met with outside New Zealand, the conclusion would be that it did not migrate from the Dominion but that it remained there throughout the year. This means that the observers in New i Zealand must recommence their studies and look for the species during the months it is. silent. It is apparent from the records that its arrival has been generally accepted by the hearing of its note, and its departure likewise credited to its silence. . As birds have been met with later than usual I now suggest that the Neo Zealandic cuckoo (known as Lamprococcyx lucidus) is not niigratory, but that it is a permanent resident in New Zealand, probably making internal movements according to the seasons." LOCAL MIGRATION ,

Quoting again from Mr. Johannes Andersen's book, he says:—"There is local- migration from other birds, and other birds are silent during part of the year. Months may pass without a warbler, fantail, or blight bird, for ins.tance, being seen or heard about Wellington. , Then suddenly one or other of them will appear, and may be seen or heard every day for an indefinite period. It depends partly upon food supplies, partly upon moulting, and there may be other reasons. During a greater part of the year, thrushes and blackbirds are most voluble, and may be seen in great numbers about Wellington, but for two months at a time, say, during February and March or into April, not a single bird may bo seen or heard. There is this difference, however, between tho Maori and the naturalised birds: Tho former make comparatively distant district migrations, but tWo latter keep close in thickcted gullies quite near their usual haunts. A faulty human observation often attributes to birds' habits they do not possess, even as on the other hand birds possess habits that have been observed wrongly or have escaped observation altogether." It is suggested by Mr. Andersen that the shining cuckoo may winter in unfrequented parts of New Zealand forest, of which there arc still lar™ areas. Certainly it h as never been seen leaving New Zealand ..orarriving in New Zealand. Until this has been seen (as has been seen, for instance, with the godwit) it cannot be really said for certain that tho bird does leavo New Zealand.