NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 96, 27 April 1929, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

(By,R. H. D. Stidolph, R.A.0.U.)

VALUE OF BIRD LIFE

NEED FOR INVESTIGATION

A recent newspaper report of star-, lings descending on a - catorpillar-iu-fested field in the Taranaki district and completely destroying the pest gave a clear indication of the worth of birdlife to this country.. Incidentally,; it wa« plagues, of caterpillars, similar to this case, only on a much larger scale, which induced the early settlers of Now Zealand to' introduce such birds as tho starling. Consequent on the native birds, which were largely bush frequenting, species, being driven away by the clearing of the forest, there were not sufficient birds left to. wage war on ' the enemies of, man. Many ii, promising crop, when just about to be' reaped, was utterly ruined by swarms of caterpillars. These devastating losses Avore reported in. several parts of the Dominion, and as a result the settlers, got:.together and decided,to introduce birds from the Old Country which, 'they hoped, would rectify the position. These introduced-species have now largely supplanted the native birds in practically every cultivated'district of the- Dominion. Although mistakes were certainly made in introducing some species, the fact remains that the specie's acclimatised, or, at le.ast some of them, have succeeded in keeping, tho pests previously encountered in; check, a point which was well illustrated by the .thousands of starlings which descended .upon.the caterpillars ''as mentioned above., Tho European birds introduced* into New- Zealand have found conditions here much to their liking and'now probably outnumber the native birds..- . -; ; . ; Nearly all the native birds of New. Zealand are'beneficial; .the bulk of, the land species being insect-eaters.and the unpaid guardians of". the., forest!'- A few of the more adaptable species—the fantail, white-eye, pipit, grey, warbler, and morepork—are'carrying out much good work; among the , gardens and plantations of the settled districts.. It is imperative that the bird-life! of New Zealand should be protected.efficiently. Nowadays, the laws relating to the protection of birds are an unknown letter in the back country districts of New Zealand,, and; iiiy certain localities, the slaughter of pigeons, kakas,. and tuis goes ■on unhampered.: : It- is saddening to, think that sueh 1, a'" state of affairs canexist in a country where.many people are- bemoaning filie "disappearance of our native birds and .in which"'.'' the. law affords these birds protection. Probably the whole position; is to be explained by the lack of control of wildlife in the Dominion. ;' Acclimatisation societies keep a'watchful.eye on.game birds and occasionally on other;species, such at bittern, but beyond-that there is no efficient'protection to the various other species and little ; superyisionof sanctuaries. .. There can."be little doubt that! if-the .present ..Animal Projection Act was observed 'throughout the 1 Dominion, many species 'of.; birds .now-decreasing or stationary in numbers would .before long become- more plentiful. \ But ithere-is no State Dap;vrtment set iip- to-,.-supervise ■■the -matter, and see that the law-is .enforced, q.nd consequently the native birds.have the boat to row'on their .own:account.

The necessity of. complete 'scientific investigations being 'carried out 'in the caso of every bird .believed/ to j'jbe' injurious to -the economic welfare 'of- - New Zealand has:. been ; stressed' in; this;' column, on ' previous ; occasions,''and societies, which profess to have'-.the welfare of the native birds at heart should demaiid'. such' an investigation before asking for the wholesale slaughter of some species,, as is. the case at present. The writer, is inclined to' the opinion that no, Now Zealand bird is so wholly .bad as to. justify, .a -war, of .extermination over the, whole .twelve .months of the year.- -The present. slaughter of. the. harriei- hawk, 'the'- shags, and -the kca are cases in point. ■ In not one single /instance can. the societies who urge tnei.destruction of. these.birds base their actions'.on indisputable,/facts—a careful' study, of. the; feeding habits.of each species carried out over, a twelvemonth period; and in; various : districts, an investigation, conducted. by." experts. No one' in Newi Zealand ;is so foolish to state .that no b'irdsj do harm .arid that all are beneficial/but .the'-fact remains that -few,, if any, do. no good at all; and are; "wholly! black in character.: There are certain species, of course, which' may be harmful, and also beneficial, and iit is probably in this category that the species mentioned above fall. But a bird may be harmful for one month of the year and beneficial for the .remaining eleven months or vice versa, or harmful. in one -district.and beneficial in another. It is todctermine such factors 1-that- an'investigationshould :.bp, carried; oiit, so "that if the destruction of any species is to be car-" ried oxit itSvill be done with due respect to the - bird's-.'.beneflcial,-'.qualities' and, perhaps' extend, only over the L.period ■when the ,bird is 'destructive,pr if it becomes too numerous in numbers.-Bird-lovers have a right to demand such; an inquiry 1-before a bird Ab 'Condemned without trial, and until.-!it is; carried out the wliolesale slaughter, of New Zealand species should..cease. The' birds' play such an- ■ important;' part..: in the balance of Nature.'that it is' ai-fool-hai'dy 'policy to ; interfere ■ with- them without 'due; regard to, the/results which may follow.' ... : ' •. ,'^,^-vy . ' :