POISON FOR BIRDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19620, 26 April 1927, Page 16

POISON FOR BIRDS.

Sir,—Your correspondent, Mr. John Whitney, in Wednesday's issue of the Herald, mentions starlings and blackbirds as being the two most destructive of fruit. The blackbird and thrush most certainly carry off the palm, but in the whole of my experience, both here, and in England, I have never seen or heard of starlings touching fruit. They live essentially on grubs, and may be iseen here in hundreds on newly-ploughed ground or in badly-infested ragwort paddocks picking off <he caterpillars that appear after the plants flower. Anywhere that worms or grubs are to be found there will the starling be found, in New Zealand, or at any rate in this, part of it. They never touch my orchard. King Country. gi rj —Permit me to thank your correspondent, Mr. John Whitney, for the valuable information contained in his letter on "Poison for Birds," in last Wednesday's Herald. So far as starlings in New Zealand are concerned I have never known or, heard of them, as a breed of birds, touching fruit. But, as any farmer ot long experience and observation can testify, they are his most helpful and valued ally "in keeping caterpillars, ticks, grass grubs and other insect pests in check. I think every farmer will join in saying of the starling, May his shadow never grow less." Old Farmed. Sir, —Having read Mr. John Whitnev'i letter regarding laying poison for birds I am writing to say a word in defence of the starling, which is a bird that deserves the protection, in Auckland Province at least, of everyone who wishes to help the farmer. Few people realise what useful work it is doing for us in checking the increase of the cattle tick. I cannot do better than quote T. G. Myers, in the Journal of Agriculture for May, 1924, who says: *'The chief natural! enemies (i.e., of cattle ticks) are birds, and of these the most important is the English starling. On? farm was examined on which practically complete control of ticks had been effected by starlings alone. This farm has been exempted from other control measures for a time sufficient to study exactly the good which starlings are (doing. 7 - . It is probable that the starlings unaided will do the work quite as well as any others that might be imported." In view of this I think Mr. Whitney's letter would have been more to the point if it had condemned poisoning as a danger to the starling rather than to the pheasant and quail, which I know to my sorrow, can do more damage in the garden than any number of starlings. There is no doubt that a lot of blackbird poisoning is practised when quail make their appearance in gardens. I also desire to protest against any reward being paid for the destruction of starlings, as this would put the farmers ; who suffer from the cattle tick pest under the same disabilities as are endured by those who suffer from the rabbit nuisance by the prices paid for hawks' feet. * Matamata. H. M. Gouk