BIRD ALLIANCE

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1930, Page 6

BIRD ALLIANCE

TWIN NESTS FOUND. . : ■ ,'' ■■ ■ '■■■ ‘ I’J; THRUSH AND BLACKBIRD. A remarkable. case of birds of differ-: ent species setting up "housekeeping’ ■jointly is reported by Mr. Edward C. Walton, Birkdale, Auckland, "i ' Scouting round some wa<ttle .trimmings recently, a. son-of M r - Walton d,iscoveiqd a. thrush’s nest and a blackbird’s nest perfectly interwoven, twigs and starw in one department overlap-; ping those that went to make up the other, The nests were perfectly lorm-

ed, apd if the different eggs in them had not sufficient to determine their owners the styles of architecture adopted would have told of the amazing alliance. ‘

The twin neste were perched three or four fe?t from, th© ground, .and it is thought that the rivalry over-, th.e position arose from the fact that it commanded a view of ripening strawberries. ' It would be quite understandable had birds of the same species arrived.'at common agreement of this nature, but cases of birds who are not related joining forces are distinctly rare. The freak qests have aroused . considerable interest among bird lovers; who state that there is only on other reported New Zealand case of‘two types of'birds feathering their nests .in harmony. The nests are to be handed on to the museum authorities. V