NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 55, 6 March 1937, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

(By R. H. D. Stidolph.)

THE'-WHITEHEAD

LIVELY, CHEERFUL BUSH BIRD

Is the whitehead, . that ' vivacious native bird which enlivens the sombre forest with its cheery notes, decreasing in numbers? On the two last occasions on which the. writer has visited the Mount Holdsworth region of the Tararuas the whitehead was conspicuous by its great rarity or by its absence. In the first excursion it was not heard below 2500 feet and tliea only once in the distance, and on the second trip, which was in lower country, it was not encountered at all. A few years ago a visit to the same area would have revealed the whitehead as one of the most numerous bush birds of those parts. ' It will' be remembered that many years ago the whitehead was considered to be almost extinct, but it then appeared to increase in numbers again, and was found in all the more, extensive forest areas as far north as the Coromandel Peninsula. In the Tararuas and Rimutakas it was well represented. The great scarcity of::this bird at the present time in the Mount Holdsworth area is hard to understand as the bush has remained undisturbed except for the. presence of opossum trappers during the season. It would be interesting to know •if any other observers have noticed a decrease of the whitehead in other parts, of the ranges or elsewhere. WINTER . FLOCKS. The absence of the whitehead may be accounted for by reason of it having collected'into its winter flocks, when it leads a more or less nomadic life over a fairly extensive area. All ths same, this hardly reconciles -.the fact that never before has the whitehead been so scarce in the area in question, no matter at what time of the year the range was visited. Invariably, in past years, at least one flock of the whitehead would be encountered 'in the autumn or winter months. It is interesting to recall that in the heyday of New Zealand bird-life these flocks of the whitehead were.nearly always accompanied by other species, notably the saddleback and the parakeet. .Unfortunately, the saddleback has disappeared from the mainland and the parakeet has become very scarce, so that these birds, except perhaps an occasional parakeet, are never seen in company with the whitehead nowadays. Other birds, however, have attached themselves to the winter flocks of the whitehead, such, as the fantail and the silver-eye, and it seems that most speciesare aware that a considerable quantity of food may be obtained by following up- this bird, which searches so industriously among the foliage of the forest trees for insect food. The whitehead is one of the most' likeable birds of the North Island bush. BIRD COMPANIONSHIP. . According to the late Mr. J. C. McLean, of Gisborne, who made extensive observations: of New Zealand's: bush birds in the East Cape district, the whitehead in that region could: be found in March working, through, all classes, of 'bush in 'flocks"varying in size from eight or ten individuals' up to as many as seventy or more. The bird remained gregarious throughput the winter, the flocks increasing in size as the season advanced.;; In spring, the flocks broke up, the pairs drawing off and showing a preference for the lighter-timbered bush. Mr. McLean noticed how the parakeet attached itself to these winter flocks, stating that it did not actually mix with the whitehead but kept 'rather higher in the trees. He also noticed the silver-eye, - the warbler, and the fantail in company with the whitehead. The presence of the fantail, he said, could be well understood, as it would be sure to meet many disturbed ■ moths and other winged insects, but he thought that the parakeet probably gained no more than social pleasure. The warbler, ■too, he suspected, had its interest in, the flock aroused rather by the .calling of the birds, as it was an excitable little bird, while the silver-eye, he considered, which was usually in the rear of the flock, could hardly expect to find much remaining after the careful investigation made by the whitehead. FEEDING HABITS. 'Mr. McLean, who spent many years in the heart of the forest, had unrivalled opportunities of studying New Zealand bird-life. The food of the whitehead, according to his observations, consists of the smaller insects and their larvae, varied occasionally with the seeds of certain trees, such a3 those of the tawari, tawhiwhi, and karo. He admirably described this bird's feeding habits in the following terms:—J'With chattering call, the members of the flock move slowly ■through the tops of the smaller trees in- a loose, straggling body, and m a more or less definite direction, assuming all possible positions while examining every nook and crevice in the bark and leaves, sometimes poised in the air, examining the tips of the leaves; at other times clinging, with tail pressed tightly against the supporting trunk and tearing off chunks of moss and lichen with their strong beaks, in search of hidden insects: ■■ The tail feathers, which become in time mucn worn, are inbent, and the stiff shafts project slightly beyond, the vanes. These, together with the muscular legs, are well adapted to the bird's mode of climbing about the trunks and branches :in its systematic hunting. When feeding on the seeds of the tawari it is interesting to see the birds hanging below the bunches of pods, which are borne at the tips of the branches." NEST IN HONEYSUCKLE. Although Mr. McLean saw a lot of the whitehead in the East Cape district he apparently only once found its nest. Unfortunately, as it was built in one of the last-felled patches of scrub, the tree went down before any eggs were laid The nest, when first found, was almost completed and Mr. McLean's attention was drawn to it by the male, who was much agitated and scolded him from the branches near in great style, but the female was not quite so demonstrative. On looking about, Mr McLean discovered the nest about seven feet up, held in position against the trunk by a couple of those upright branchlets so characteristic of .the small honeysuckle tree. (knightia excelsia or rewarewa) in which it was placed. The nest'was built of fine rootlets, with the top and sides well smoothed off, especially.about the rim, while the cavity was beautifully lined with small feathers of different birds. The male sang near the nest while it was being constructed, as he had noticed the bird on different days, before he found the nest, trilling nearby in the taller honeysuckles, which just topped the surrounding dense scrub of nei-nei and, tawhera. ...'... Iron pyrites, a compound of iron and sulphur with a golden yellow colour, was mistaken by the early prospectors for gold. It was termed "fool's gold." Pyrites were used in ancient times to strike fire and also in wheel lock guns in place of flint: and Avhen Caesar invaded Britain he found ..the natives using iron bars'for coin as well as gold and copper.