IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 13

IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

THE SHINING CUCKOO. ITS ARRIVAL IN NEW ZEALAND. (By James Drummond, F.L.S., F.Z.S.) There has been a very gratifying response to the appeal made through the columns of ■£ UJagOr ©jaily.> Times- andother newspapers foV : records- of theihabits . of the shining cuckoo. Correspondents in all parts of *the Dominion have forwarded contribution^. Some of these record close observations made during many years' acquaintanceship with the strange parasitical summer migrant.' Before the bird departs- for other lands at the end of the present season, ip January, February, and March, a great deal of valuable information should be available in regard to its habits. Observations, so far, have been devoted mainly to recording its arrival in the different districts. This has been done well;, and it remains now to undertake the more difficult and more interesting and important work of observing the way in which the cuckoo deposits its eggs in other birds' nests, the foster parents' method of feeding the young cuckoos, the" -young cuckoos' ■behaviour towards the chicks of the rightful owner, and the departure of the usurpers from the property placed in their possession by their most unnatural parents.

The records confirm the belief that the shining cuckoo, together with the long-tailed cuckoo, arrive in New Zealand in September and October. It is impossible, of course, to obtain quite authentic dates of the first arrival in each district, or in the whole Dominion. Large numbers of cuckoos may be in the country before' they are noted. It is natural to conclude that, as the inward migration is from northern islands to New Zealand, the birds reach the northern part of the Dominion first and come south. Apparently, however, the geographical positions of the districts make little difference. The bird arrives in some southern districts as soon as it arrives in northern districts. In dealing with this phase of the cuckoo's migration, it should be remembered that a bird's flight is very rapid, and that strong wings make short work of many miles. By flying continuously the cuckoo could pass from end to end of .New Zealand in 30 hours, and it probably would not be exhausted when it reached the southernmost point. . *

It should also be remembered that the migration of the two cuckoos, like the migration of the godwits, is not always absolutely complete. Every year some of the migrants remain behind, to pick up the outward migration, presumably, at the end of the following summer. Mr D. Quinn, principal keeper at Dog Island lighthouse, in Foveaux Strait, for instance, states that he has .seen both the shining cuckoo and the long-tailed cuckoo in the bush at Otakou, inside Taiaroa Heads, at all times of the year. Other observers have seen the shining cuckoo in June, July, and August. There is no evidence to lead to a conclusion as to whether cuckoos, which remain in New Zealand all the year round accidentally miss the orlinary time of departure and do not care to leave at any other time, or whether they intentionally hold aloof from their outward-bound fellows because they find* this country more attractive than their winter residences in the north.

In accordance with the theory that the birds move gradually from the north to the south, the first recorded arrival this year was at £he Thames, near Auckland, on September 6, and the last at Stewart Island, on October 18. On the other hand, the first cuckoo at Whangarei, in the far north of Auckland, was recorded on September 19, and on the Buller road, Weatport, on September 17, two days earlier, while at Hokianga, another northern district, it was not recorded until October 9. The dates, taking the places of observation from north to south, are : — Motukaraha, Hokianga, October 9; Epsom, Auckland, September 15; Thames, September 6 and 13; Buatoki, west of the Hot Lakes district, October 2; Hautura, a few miles south of Kawhia Harbour, October 1 ; Cambridge, beginning of September; Tongaporutu, about 40 miles from New Plymouth, September 28; Pukekura Park, in New Jflymouth, September 30; Whau-whau, Hastings, south of Napier, October 12; Kaitoke, Wellington province, October 10? Raetihi, '. South Waimarino, Wellington province, October ,8; Levin, October 8; Wainui-o-mata, near Wellington city, October 14; Cape. Farewell, nojrth of the South Island, September 30; Pakawau, south oi that point, : September 29 ; Christchurch, September -29 ; Marshland, September 30; Akaroa, October 17; Timaru, October 2(>; the Buller road, Westport, September 17; Qatlins, September 29; and Stewart Island, October 18. There are no records of arrivals in any months except September % and October, and it is evident that the spring is the accepted time for the migration to New Zealand.

From the information supplied it seems to be clear that the grey warbler is the principal victim of the cuckoo's parasitical habit, but it is not by any means the only one. Mr Quinn. for instance, has found cuckoos' eggs in the nests oi the fantail, the South Island tomtit, the yellow-head, and the South Island robin; and on one occasion he saw the bell-bird feeding a young long-tailed cuckoo. Several correspondents have found the Shining cuckoo's egg in the nests of sparrows and other English birds. Mr H. Haeusler, of Pukerimu, near Cambridge, in the North Island, states that two year's ago he saw a pair of grey warblers feeding a young ccukoo in a hawthorn hedge in front of his house. While he was watching them he saw another young •uckoo on a branch close by. The little

f warblers began to feed the second cuckoo also, and continued to feed them until • night came on. At about 9 o'clock next morning -a third cuckoo appeared. It was larger than the others, and seemed to \>e very wild. It had evidently learnt to itself, as^it pecked at the leaves, but' it still wished to^ be fed by its fosterparents. -There were „altog«tner. ,altog«tner «five : warblers, but as one always remained on the hedge, the work of feeding the young cuckoos seemed to- be -left to four of the smaller birds; On the third ntorning the cuckoos were still in the hedge, but at about 10 o'clock they began to move from bush to bush towards a gully, and disappeared amongst the trees. Mr Haeusler adds that on one occasion he found two sparrows'- nests, one in a" pine ' tree and one in a bluegum, and each had a cuckoo's egg. The cuckoos seem -to frequent all localities where native forest remains. Mr H. E. Girdlestone, of Raetihi, states that both species are common" in his district. The shining cuckoo generally inhabits the river banks and the long-tailed species the ridges.