NATIVE BIRDS OF THE WAIMEAS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 31 July 1924, Page 3

NATIVE BIRDS OF THE WAIMEAS

\ (My '-Avis."; < 3.—THE KAN TAIL ( Perhaps the best known of all our native birds, these cheerful little, fellows ( may bo seen in all parts of the district ( both town and country. As winter approaches, they grow very tame and fear- ( lessly enter houses, and. flitting round). the walls, snap up any stray houseflies that, may be found there." Doubtless |< most people have seen them doing this. .Alas! ! have known of over-zealous housekeepers knocking them down with < the broom and giving them to the cat. Bjwar--, ve murderesses. Read the n■- j tices re native birds that are to bo seen ( in most of our public buildings, and in- j stead of slaughtering the next, hungry.' inrocctit that conu-A along, just. watco L liim at his meal. After bis appetite is satisfied, he will probably perch en aJ' cm enient picture and burst into such i, a Hood of joyous melody as will do your heart good to hear. | < The fantail is purely an insectivorous; bird, its chief food being minute insects 1 that are all taken on the wing. So small il are some of these that unless seen in a ray of sunlight they are invisible. When wo see fantails flitting about in their light airy fashion they are not just minis- , ing themselves., but are. feeding. House-! flies are taken only when the supply of.' other insects fails. Even bluebottles are', sometimes captured, but after a great : deal of hammering these are usually.' 1 abandoned as being too large for the , bird's liny gullet. Frequently they may, be seen feeding near their roosting places ' long after most birds have gone to roost. ! In the winter the fantail is very easily tamed. To do this it is only necessary ' to throw a few flies to the bird each time it comes searching round the room for food. Very soon it learns to come and I sit on your hand and take a fly, and in a few days, it will follow you about al- ' most asking for food. I once had one ( that would come to me anywhere, either outside or in, perch on my head or ' shoulder and sing with the utmost aban- < don. ■ The cup-shaped nest of the fantail is ( most neatly and comfactly made, being j composed chiefly of fine moss and cob-. webs and line.l with horsehair. Like ' the warbler the fantail commences to t build early in the season rind as is open, a sheltered spot is always sought i'or. Its favourita nesting place is in a forked t twig beneath a thick cluster of dead " branches ; but a quiet spot under a ver- { anda.'i is frequently chosen, while i once * saw a pair build a nest in the loop of 1 a piece of flax that had bee.n loosely tied round one of the rafters of an old f shed. It is unfortunate that the birds | should have chosen horsehair as a. lin- I ing tor their nests. On two occasions j § 1 have the young birds firmly caught, 6 by the horsehair and unable to leave j I the nest One had a toe so nearly sever-' H ed that, it soon dropped off. but the. fe second was liberated without sulferiug j \ any ill-effects. ° i The fantails' eggs are much like those j I of the warbler, but a trifle larger. The)* old birds take turns in sitting on them, I and though scientists tell us that the § black and the pi(> are separate varie- g ties, (hey frequently mate and quite of- j § ten one or more of each is. reared in tliej f same nest, three or four being the usual * number hatched. ' fi The young fantails are much like their f parents, except that the pied birds are | brownish in colour. The old ones feed | them with the greatest care till they are § fully developed, and then drive them I right away from the neighbourhood and f set. to work building a new nest. The fantails' wide spreading tail and loose feathers make the bird appear * much larger than is really the case, and J 1 should not be. greatly surprised to X learn that it was the smallest of our i native birds, for when held in the hand J it is nothing but a ball of feathers, and f seems to have no perceptible weight. 2 It is pleasing to know that such an 3 interesting and harmless little bird has V survived the advent of civilisation and J that with more rigid protection will pro- ) bablv increase in numbers. 0