NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 150, 29 June 1929, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

BIRD MIGRATION

ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS

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

Mrs.Perrine Moncrieff, of /"Tha Cliffs," Nelson, in continuation of her article on bird migration in New Zealand, recently published in an ornithological journal published in Australia^ considers the grey warbler as a bird moving to,and from- the. /bush, 'although' she records Mr;'E.AlFalia,.of Auckland, ■ as stating that the territory occupied by these birds is very small,' being' of ten not more than 'an acre. The little-known fern bird is a resident. Its habitats, Mrs. Monerieff states, are reed beds or fern,'and if- these are destroyed by fire the bird is lost to the locality. .The y&lowhead ,and the whitehead, bi^ds commonly known aa bush canaries, are residents,' making seasonal movements in ; search: of food. The wood robin is., another resident species, which , undoubtedly has its particular territory, which it guards jealously, though - occasionally wandering from its haunts. The New Zealand creeper, a bird -found - only in - the South Island, is fairly numerous ■ in. most parts of that island, but little is recorded of its movements, as it frequents high bush country. la habits it somewhat resembles the yellowhead, which travels through a certain area in search of food: and. is constantly on.the move. ."-.-;.- ' ■' •-

Mrs. MoncriefE has a lot to say about the white-eye. „ Judging from the reports she received of the bird's, presence or movements, she >tates-''that it is perhaps safe to suspect '. 'that, '.the white-eye, moves north', ironV'! the south of the North Island ..and-'ifofe-gathers, after passing through 1 'different districts, in the north of the 'North Island. In the South :'lsland :; there does not appear to be any 'sig^is of their moving northward';to; avoid, the cold, as one would expect, she states, from little birds which Originally came from Australia. In .eaehNuMct it is. nojicea that; the' biifl is gep^ally seen.,m the .winter and autumn"Tiavine come out of v the,bush,, where' it^iwl alter September. Mrs.. Mo'n£riefrvbelievesrthat; from time to - -time' ,,Wei& must be fresh invasions of;> whitejey.es from overseas,' as in '1926 records 'were received' from all parts 'of NeW -Zealand at the same time, stating'that white-eyes were seen in larger -numbers than., usual.. She ..->«.- inclined to think Jhat some birds ' \bf this species come to New Zealand each f^fear from Australia or Tasmania. ■ ■"''--_ ■'

. many bell-birds.neyer leaVe the bush, Mrs. Moncrieff received definite evidence- from -New P^ymoutix and Dunedin of a regular migration rrom bush to ; "coast, the spring appearance coinciding, with- the .flowering of the kowhai. The bell-bird; According 10 tne reports she received, is present an many districts of both islands. The ttu is also widely distributed. The i w t .? ef la? a &&*> or ground lark, is plentiful throughout • the Island and m mostr.clistricts of'the" North- IsJand. She has received little actual evidence that this bird moves, but she believes, that it does so in the autumn. Ihe existence of the 'native " crow, is mentioned in six areas of I*e North Island. Its : chief danger; states Mrs ■Moncrieff, is the .destruction of the bush, without which: at cannot survive From the South Island, she- .observes* no is fortheomiag",tnoueh it is said: to.exist; in the,more- wooded areas -.Mid* rluat^:tn'J-blue- ewattled crow, the -North; islani-: bird wanders considerably when unchecked' Its range however, is very ' restricted m some districts. -. /

Considerable space is also devoted to the introduced birds.: The black' swan Mrs. Moncrieff states, 1 inoVW ;!;in'" the a»»7»na BprxSg; She mentions that onlSthASeptember, 1927, a flock landed 11 Harbour in a thoroughly exhausted condition. The little owl doea not appear to. move about. ThVblackbird, on the whole, is practically stationary, though in some districts after the nesting season it will .range over the whole- country. Tie song thrush: is regarded as., a . resident : l>ird.: The h.edge r sparrow : i ? .'increasing c: in' -^umbers \aiid gi-aflually; appearing in new places.;;lt., is y .residents . whef eve*'. Sit takes up i|s abode". The ' 'skylark--re-tains its habit of. flocking and movingabout the country as its ancestors-did in the Old Country, but, the flocks appear_.to_be. small and do/not attract much attention. The;chaffineh is common throughout both islands, and has even spread right back in, the mountain tastnesses, and is even-more' common than the-blackbird. ■ ;Ii niost localities in.;the; North Island it. visits ?the'opeu country and cpast'i in autumnf Winter, and spring, retiring .to ,the bush for the:swnmer, but in Auckland "ttie bird is stationary. Mrs; .Moncrieff has reason to believe, from the. records she received, ; that there' is. a 'movement in. the case of this species from south to north: as the cold weather sets in $?J*9* chaffinches, she'states, possibly; ""gffit? a ?ross 'Ctfok Strait,;/beiMg replaced by; tKose from" further:.: south, but .the : bird does not, in all: probability,., migrate beyond Auckland;' The goldfinch, is.also believed; to. make a northward; movement, which is : even, more pronounced. She • believes ': that Nelson -birds of^ this- species 'migrate across Cook Strait, as 'she :saw' a flock W *hl™ ,J?a^ ea 011 *■"'ti:ee ifi the 'centre of Wellington, .close: to the v harbour. Ihe birds were,:quite ,worn out, and. had presumably come irom a. distance. Immediately they, had - settled. on the tree they put their- heads under-^their wmgs and fell asleep. The- movements ot the reclpole appear to be : most erratic, Though less regular in' its habits than other introduced finches, it still retains its ' habit of .flocking i about the country, in the South Tslandi I though .possibly, she suggests, in. the North ; Island it is losing this instinct owing to. the climate being less rigori ous. The house-sparrow flocks together during the autumn and winter, as also does the yellow, hammer. CThe'starlinsr also flocks about the country at certain times, in some districts leaving settlements at the end of January and 'ia February an d_ returning in August ana beptembev.. In many, parts of the country large flocks, are seen, usually at-sunset, making Meir Wto "favourite roosting, places. „ The i Indian, myna is considered to migrate, at least in. some distrietsy to and from --the bush, but from some; -parts of the country it has, disappeared' :; • '