Tangimoana Has Rare Visitation

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 106, 7 May 1938, Page 6

Tangimoana Has Rare Visitation

WHITE HERONS TAKE UP ABODE Tho interest of naturalists and others has been aroused by the appearance at Tangimoana of two white herons, which have been habitating a mud flat near the river for the past two or three weeks. Fine specimens of this extremely rare feathered visitor, these two handsome birds seem to have taken a distinct liking to the locality, and are ' often to be seen standing patiently in pools of shallow water waiting for the appearance of some unwary tadpole or frog, which together with fish make up the major portion of their diet. The white heron does not breed in the North Island, and nowadays it has become quite a rarity, even in tho south. There is at Lake Kanieri, on the West Coast of the South Island a heronry, where several of these highly protected birds are jealously preserved and cared for. The last heronry in the North Island was at Akirarito, on Lake Waitangituna, where there were said to be 20 nests, but the birds there disappeared and no definite attempt has since been successful to establish a heronry in the north. Visited Awapuni Lagoon. Several years ago Manawatu was favoured with a visit by two white herons, who took up their abode at Awapuni Lagoon and became the subject of considerable interest. The white heron makes a very striking picture, with its pure white plumage, its long, graceful neck ending in a strong yellow beak, and its high, stiltlike legs, black from the knees to the toes. From the tip of its beak, which itself measures six inches, to its shoulders measures about two feet, while each wing has a spread of almost 17 inches. When flying, the white heron bunches its neck into its shoulders and although giving tho appearance of laboured flight, really travels very fast. The original home of this bird is China, while they are also to be found in Japan. It is considered that stragglers make their way through the Malay Archipelago to Australia and New Zealand, but this occurrence has of late become very rare. It is interesting to note that when the first settlers came to the South Island they found quite a number of white herons in seemingly permanent abode among the rivers and lakes. These, however, soon fell victim to tho wanton destruction of sportsmen, and it is only within comparatively recent years that protective measures have been enforced for those few remaining. Tho Maoris had a great respect for the kotuku, or white heron, and placed a very high value on its plumes. A visit by a kotuku was considered to bo a particularly good omen for the fortunate tribe concerned. So much regard did they have for the bird that they declared it “tapu," and there were several odd customs in this connection. One was that any man wearing the weather of a kotuku could not eat in the presence of a woman unless he first removed his treasured plume. To delvers into Maori legend, also, this visit of white heron to this district must thus have considerable interest.