SEEN NEAR PAEROA

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 58, Issue 4121, 4 April 1949, Page 5

SEEN NEAR PAEROA

BLUE WATTLED CROW BY NO MEANS EXTINCT LONG SEACH REWARDED Bird lovers will read with particular interest the story told by Mr H. L. Morgan of Paeroa of the re-discovery of one of our most interesting native birds which, as far as the mainland is concerned, was thought to be nearly extinct. The bird, which is now headline ** news,” is the blue wattled crow. It is somewhat like the tui, but larger, with bluish tinged brown plumage, darkening to black on the wings and tail.

It was on March 20 when several of these birds were seen by Mr Morgan and Mr R. McKenzie, chief postmaster at Thames whilst they were on an expedition in the hills behind "Waitekauri. Mr McKenzie is a member of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand, members’ of which for many years without success have been searching for the crow. About 18 months ago Mr McKenzie was transferred to Thames and it was there that he heard talk about some large ball birds in the Colville ranges. For some time Mr McKenzie directed his starches in the Coromandel and Whiti=anga areas but recently he learned from Mr Morgan that the birds in question had been seen by him seven years ago between Paeroa and Waitekauri.

, These gentlemen decided to in■vestigated. Mr Morgan states that they had been in the bush some hours before there was any sign or sound 1 «rf what they were seeking. They waited and listened. The calls and songs of many of the winged inhabitants of our bush could be clearly

heard. Suddenly they heard notes quite new to their ears. They quietly followed the sound and we can imagine their excitement when above them in * tall tawa they saw for the first time the object of their search.

Fortunately they were on high ground and thus they had almost a dress circle view of what so many- had thought was no longer in the land of the living. The bird was feeding on tawa berriep. It moved about with <juick jumps and was difficult to keep in view for more than a few seconds >t a time.

Mr Morgan and Mr McKenzie waited patiently and quietly for about two hours and were well rewarded for their patience. They saw, in all, About 13 of these birds of various ages. .Some were evidently not fully manured. The crow has several notes ■or calls', but the particular call of the native crow sounded like “ kio kio” to the searchers. Upon referring to Perrinne Moncrieff’s book New Zealand Pirds ” we find that the description there given tallies very closely with that given by {Messrs McKenzie and Morgan. This authority on New Zealand bird life states that the crow’s flight is feeble And is a succession of hops. He describes the call as like “ rio.”

The blue wattled crow must not t>e confused with the bellbird or makomako. This is a smaller bird with chirk green plumage. Mr Morgan is •of opinion that the native crow is not as rare as is commonly believed. Their shy nature and quick movements make it very difficult to get close enough to see them.

There can be no doubt whatever that •what Messrs Morgan and McKenzie abw was the native crow or as it is

more correctly named the “ Kokako. In some parts of the North Island this bird is known as the/* hongia.” Some three years ago, about March,

1946, the writer was privileged to see some of these birds when in the bush near Pio Pio. He was at the time accompanied by Mr ,W. Larsen, who is known to quite a number of people in Paeroa. Mr Larsen, who has a great knowledge and love of bird and bush life, was quite familiar with'the “ hcngia ” as he called it. He is a very experienced bushman and has always stated that he knew of one locality only where the hongia could be found and it was there that he showed me hongia. The bird be- ( haved in exactly the manner described ’ by Mr Morgan. According to Mr Larsen these birds never left the one small area they frequented, which confirms the view taken by Messrs Morgan and McKenzie that they seem * to keep to a particular locality. Near 1 ! Pio Pio, the locality is quite close to s the edge of the bush and not far from a farm homestead. The locality is about 300 feet above sea level. ' It is to be hoped that Messrs Mc- * Kenzie and Morgan will be successful in re-discovering other native birds, it rars or thought to be extinct, and e many will look forward eagerly foi is the story of their quest.