NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 18, 21 July 1934, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

DESTRUCTION OF KIWIS

MENACED BY MAN AND TRAPS

(By E. H. D. Stidolph, E.A.OJJ.)

Serious allegations about thedestriiet tion of;kiwis in New Zealand are made by Mr. Sydney Porter, : a .w'ell-kho'wn bird-lover of England^ who "recently paid an extended, visit to' thiis country. Writing in the Avicultural Magazine, he states:. "When: up ; near the North Cape of New Zealand I, found that numbers of kiwis are -being deliberately killed by both tho Maoris and the white settlers, by the', latter for eating and by the formerto. sell to their fellow-countrymen for 'the making of the feathered \eloaks,' either to sell to tourists or to, use . for ..special occasions. Then there are,- of; course, other enemies in I^he shape of cats, rats, weasels, and stoats who prey-.on the eggs and the young birds, and.so it "is a logical conclusion,tb^t'in a generation *■ or two kiwis will have ceased to; exist on the mainland of New Zealand.- But as long as the island.;.sanctuaries are preserved as such, the kiwi will .not pass away, altogether." Presumably^ Mr. Porter's allegations about this deliberate slaughter of .kiwis refer to tha country north of Hokianga- -Harbour, between that place and Kaitaia; where there is a fairly extensive area pf bush country. If his statements are substantially correct, it is tinie. that, sterii action was taken by the-authorities to put a stop to this practice, as the kiwi,, one of the most-remarkable birds in the world, is strictly protected !>}-■ law and deliberate destruction of this nature cannot be countenanced ; under any/ circumstances i ' . '

Mr. Porter also refers to.the number of kiwis-killed by dogs and by fires and x to the menace of opossum traps.' Ob; serving that the kiwi : never wanders very fair from its hiding place and makes well-worn pathways from-its hole to the hunting grounds, he states that the opossum ;trap is- often-set .on-the. track, and tne kiwi, sauntering along probing the ground with .its' long,* sensitive beak, invariably'gets.'rcaught, iithe. jaws of "the trap smashirig-'.Hhe'bird's bill'inhalf. If it isv not the'bill,' it is one of the legs. The _ trapper, lie asserts, 'frightened to do the bird owing to the strict- protective laws, either kills the bird( ffiitrigh't and throws the body away or lets: it'lgo to die a lingering death. In aii extensive valley, one of the last large -strongholds of the kiwi on .the'mainlana, ha was informed that over a hundred birds r _ i»et, their doom in ■■■. a,single, season. There is no doubt that'the - menace': of opossum tops to the .kiwi, as-Mr. Porter has pointed out, is- a. real ;one. \ [Even in areas such, as .the. ;Egniont j National ■ Park, which'is; ai sanctuary I for native birds,- large numbers of kiwis [are caught in opossum traps; and no doubt some-, are .kille.d.; -The ; -setting, of traps on the ground.' should-lpe:pro-hibrted ;in areas inhabited ?by.- the 'kiwi , and weka, especially in,sanctuaries./ It is not a difficult matter Jb.^et. the' traps on a piece". of board placed against a tree trunk, at such an angle'tha't thfese [ground birds cannot bo: caught. A report of the actual number ,of "kiwis killed in ..traps in the Eginorit National Park would beTilluminating.;',•''.'"■ .?-; ■ ;,'■._'.

, The kiwi apparently does,not-inhabil; the southern, portion'of the -North. Island- The nearest locality' to "Wellington where it ihas been,repprtecl in. recent years is near Woodvillei:"and exhaustive inquiries haye failed:to\reveal the presence of' this interesting bird beyond that point. It, will -bo recalled, that over. fifty years;: ago a kiwi/was captured on Mount :Hector,'iin, the ,'Kanges,"" by t a: "surveyor, hilr.' Morgan Garkeeky'-but'" since that | day' nothing further -has bceiil seen ;or heard of this, bird, in thfese*' ranges. Curiously, the particular: bird'was described as the little "grey, species, "hitherto- only known from' the South Island and- never, since' reported'- from the North j.lsland, a 'circumstance "■ that raises some doubt as to the identity .of the bird: The kiwi v inhabitingv.this Island is the'brown species., It: is still fairly well" representedi in parts of the interior, notably in.the)countfy;adjoinj ij|g-the : Wanganui River' and in Taranaki,-. while,in : the ; North Auckland district it is said .to.-exist in: fair-nuni-bers. ■"■ Dr. J.- Gr. Myers, who v investigated the ' position of New ' Zealand birds some years: ago, was surprised to find the kiwi .ia plenty no further than five miles from one of the larger towns of the North Auckland district. Here, it occurred in ; the ;busl\. which capped the peaks of ;the-;. hills, while the. valleys and flats had long been settled and bore no bush. In 1921 several kiwis were found.close■ to "Wanganui. It was thought at the time that the birds may have escaped from captivity, but it is more likely that; they were genuine wild birds....

j.! Throe species of kiwi aTe.found in the South/Island, the "brown. kiwij' V'alniosb identical to the North Island-bird, the little grey khvi,. and Haast'skvYvi,, the last-named being'the largest. Both the little grey; and the;Haast's.species are found; in the western districts: of.' the [island, in the baek'xo.untfy...of l. lJelsqn arid jWestland. The stronghbld :of 'the Tirown. kiwi' "■ in : the ••• south'1- isvStewdrt Island; a : sanctuary for jbirds, f-but' unfortunately tt© 'kiwi'fiSrthTeaten^d in this .lefuge :by •' the- operations/;.of opossum -trappers.' "It:is time action was taken-.to.';ensure ..the: ade> quate protection ; of ■. this; ;interesting bird, which is.so.characteristic of New Zealand., ■\: . ,i;; '■■■. .'.'.'