BIRD LIFE BY THE SEA

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1930, Page 13 (Supplement)

BIRD LIFE BY THE SEA

NATURE’S CREATURES

(By

J.H.S.—Copyright.)

Matuku Moana.— ; '. The matuku moana, or ocean-goln£ heron; differs from others of his kind in his habit of flying farther from land. His grey plumage and white head, yellow, °sbarp-pointed biff, and long, grey neck)” are : one ' straight line 1 when .he flies. Due to'tlie coihpa'rative' rarity of the white heron, tlffe"plumcs of the maluku moana' assunle'd a ceremonial value. If worn by a man while eating no woman dared join him in the meal lest her hair should fall Out, a contingency viewed with horror. by. the Maori, who knew no such thing as a bald head. This bird is common in Australia and is supposed, to be capable of the long flight across the Taisman. His flight .‘.looks. too-..clumsy for such a journey; but his powers of running are good fos.; his he is never still, like, other herons. Tlie only means by which these birds may be observed is through a .field-glass. Their length is about" four' feet I ,‘and their activity while: fishing, is a .wonderful sight. The blue heron breeds qn- oup outlying islands, but this white, fronted bird’s nesting place is still a secret. Matuku Tai.—

The matuku tai, or sea heron, known to us as the blue heron, frequents the tidal waters. Its plumage is of a slate <rpev ’ tinged with : brdwn below, a white Tine’-running-from-tlie-throat along the breast. Long blue feathers lie singly •alo<dMO>acklJWWE 'assigns it a place in history as thq sacred heron, and it was so regarded by the ancients. Its only time of activity is when on the rocks at ebb and flow of the tide in search of'food. If disturbed it flies awkwardly to a distance, with its head and loj>g v neck drawn in, and legs stretched out behind. It seems to become attached to I a particular sppt, where year’ after year the same birds ■ are seen singly or in pairs. They are "described'as Shy,.'.but wary or cautious is more appropriate. Fear came only when they discovered our cruel pothuntiiilU by which, we have deprived ourselves'.of their first friendly relationship. In the breeding season, when hovering near a cave wheie thev nest, they cry like hungry kittens. At all other times their long months of silence are uncanny. ■ . ■ I . ‘ ■ - v . .■ Rerenga.— • > .

Known to us as the rock hopper, the rerenga is a flightless .species of penguin, with black back,' head and neck. It has a white breast andi sides with a’ ! white;'band'-aertes' 1 the: head from eye to eye<> TJie,. small : black, flippers are like fins. They are champions in the water, but very awkward on the rocks of remote islands where, they form colonies at breeding time. There they have well defined tracks from the sea to the nesta. ' When disturbed, they escape to their native element in ludicrous fashion, falling over themselves at every, yard, and yelping like terrier puppies. Like all their kind, their bodies are saturated with oil and, M’ltcn the Anthelpless birds literally m. millions ior twopence worth of oil. New Zealand lias mandatory power over- the R«ly accessible portion of the Antarctic Circle, and should forthwith put a etop to this war of extermination. 1 Moreover, New Zealand does not even participate in the proceeds of the destruction oi these birds, or the destruction of the leviathans ,of the deep in tens of thou..W^,‘sT m '

Known to us. as the; stormy, petrel, ■the reo reo is said to have a voice like a man who stammers, though how the Alaori ever got near enough to name him so aptly is a• puzzle. Once seen, even at a distance, he' is always known; by appearing to propel his body with his web feet, by striking the. water at every stride of his l Ql jc thin leg's which are bent at both joints.. The wings are long and pointed in a graceful upward cufve ( when at rest, which is seldom, hi. flight, he moves like * great , butterfly, but the dangling legs aiid (Veb feet spoil the symmetry. The varying plumage in the several varieties is a puzzle to the amateur. One species, now rarely seen, has a head, body and wing as black as night, with a broad white band around the body near the tail. Other species have white heads and. bodies* Old sailormen declared it imperative to reef the. sail , and make all taut-aboard, when the reo reo hovered aloft. Perhaps ' they ' were right. „ , '/ 4:> „ uailt -rjff'J—-rA-'iii. iZ.r.i; . ■., . - ’

■h'i/ > .A'G'i -'-.T'Z ’if ’ The putahgitangi (short* sharp cries) is aptly named paradise duck. The white head, ringed neck and spotted , win f, s against •the- shining black plume, made the mother duck a target. Nearly fifty years ago, the birds deserted the 'North Island for the South, where timely protection brought an increase; but they return no more to this scene of ■slaughter. Unlike all others of the dticlcltribct iihese birds nest -in the forest trees. Twelve eggs found fifty feet up and hatched. under a* Cochin China < hem; produced., twelve eturdy ducks, hjiite.thebe' was nqt a father drake among them. For a year or more the brood marched to the river a mile away in Indian file; and - then ; hame home 1 night to be nursed by the girls and to eat from the children’s hands. One sunny morn the love song- of the spotless’ blue black drake was heard in the air. To the amazement of the owners the whole harem v took wing for the first flight and'were never seen again, Ngutii-PAre.— »

■ The birds Alaori name, ngutu pare, and its English .flarue, 1 nvfybill, have literallv the same meaning. Hence come* ‘the Maori- proverb, “Ka parea, te upoko ■ki tua mai, ko nga waewae i parae ki runga? hiA face looks aside, but .hi* feet look up. Why its bill should, be turned aside. At fall,'-!ap'd why always to the right, is a puzzle. One suggestion- is- that it may be used to turn over the stones, among which it lives funly at .breeding,.:.timq.'.7,The eggs, are laid among stones identical in size ana. colouring, so that-air enemy may not distinguish them. It is said by old Alaori seaside, ’dwellers ythat the .shade of the egg is produced at will in accordance with the precise tint of stones in the vieijuity, as the stones have plain, or .spotted colouring. The same protection in colouring : is assumed by the young birds. which sit unseen among .these .stones. There is no more striking evidence of design aforethought than in the.. colouring of the egg and chick of the ngutu pare..