NATIVE BIRDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22434, 2 June 1936, Page 14

NATIVE BIRDS

KECENT INCREASE MORE FOOD SUPPLIES ADDRESS BY MR. R. A. FALLA Although 25 years ago fears seemed ■well grounded that New Zealand s native bird life was disappearing, many classes of the honey-eating and berry-eating birds are steadily increasing again. This was pointed out by Mr. R. A. Falla, of tbe staff of tho Auckland War Memorial Museum, in an address yesterday at the luncheon meeting of tho Auckland Rotary Club at Milne and Choyce's Reception Hall. The increase in native bird life was attributed by Mr. Falla to the planting of honey and berry-bearing trees and shrubs in parks and gardens, which was restoring the situation caused by the denuding of bush on the hills. Particularly important in this respect was the introduction into New Zealand and the increasing popularity of Australian flowering gums, the honey in the flowers of which is plentiful and relished by tho tuis. A Curious Mixture A curious aspect in Auckland was that while the tuis were very plentiful in tho bush surrounding Auckland and on the Waitakere Ranges, the bellbirds, which were also honey-eaters, were largely confined to tho various islands in tho Hauraki Gulf. However, he was convinced that as their natural food increased, the bellbirds would return to the mainland. The bird lite of New Zealand was a curious mixture, continued the speaker. Tho early settlers missed the song birds of their homeland, concerning which sentiment had been aroused by the literature of England. For example, poets had sung in many poems of the nightingale and the skylark. The introduction of the skylark to New Zealand had not, however, produced tho same sentiment with -which it was regarded in England. Tho less rigorous climate in New Zealand had led to a great increase, with £ho result that it was now regarded with tho sparrow and the finches as almost a pest. Introducing New Species Mr. Falla said that attempts had boon made to introduce about 100 different types of birds, including game birds, into New Zealand, but onlv 28 to .30 species had become established. Some of them, notably the sparrow, had been brought here to deal with tho caterpillar post, and the sparrow in tho past had undoubtedly checked it.

Dealing with birds in general, Mr. Falla referred to their vivacity and activity. Whereas blood iieat in mammals was normal about 98.4d0g., in birds it was often 103 to 104deg., and in birds of excessive activity, such as humming birds, it ranged up to lOOdeg. In spite of man's progress in flight, birds probably still iuld most flying records. Man was still studying tho flight of birds in order to apply tho lessons to aviation. Ono of the first things studied in this respect was the relation of body weight to wing-spread. The Slotted Wing Device

Irregularity of wing-tip, which gave stability, was another lesson. Thus the slotted wing introduced by de Havilland was the direct result of observation of hawks and eagles, which could hover and move in a confined space. It was noticed there was a wide gap between the primary feathers and the wing-tip. This apparently prevented the formation of air eddies that interfered with slow flight.

Mr. Falla concluded with some remarkably Rood imitations of bird song. The blackbird apparently did not seem to sing as much as it did in Europe, ho said. There was not a great deal of difference between the notes of the tui and the bellbird, but thoso of the lastnamed were more mellow and not so forced as those of the tui. The notes of the tui varied a good deal according to district and season. The tui was also a great mimic. Mr. Falla concluded with an imitation of a tui reproducing the notes of water rippling over stones in a shallow stream.