GERMAN OWLS

Taranaki Daily News, 17 June 1932, Page 9

GERMAN OWLS

NATIVE BIRDS DESTROYED.

ACTIVITIES OF HAWKS.

Further complaints against the destruction of small birds by imported German owls came before the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society this week, and it was decided to make representations to the Internal Affairs Department on the matter.

A letter from Mr. F. Milnor, rector of Waitaki Boys’ High School, stated that every autumn it had been a joy to have frequent visitations to their rooms from fantails and to hear the plaintive, trill of the riroriro in the shrubberies, but this autumn a number of German owls had taken up their residence in a nearby belt of eucalyptus and had wiped out every one of these native birds. The whole of the district was being denuded of the small birds in the same way, Mr. Milner said. Writing later, Mr. Milner mentioned that he had received many distressing

accounts, of the depredation by these owls, which were now to be found on Stewart Island and had been reported as seen at. Rotorua. He inquired whether the birds could be trapped, or reduced by the offering of a bounty without endangering, the morepork, believing that something would have to be done quickly to remedy the position. It was also reported that in the Waitaki district a hawk had been seen feeding on a bird carcase which had been identified by the few wing feathers which remained as that of a great teal. One of the feathers showed distinct marks of a shot. The <rrey

teal was an absolute’y protected bird, but it had evidently been wounded by a sportsman. The secretary, Mr. E. V. Sanderson, reported that he had approached the Auckland Acclimatisation Society with reference to the expenditure of license holders’ money on the feet of hawks without any scientific research having been made as to whether the hawk was a benefactor to mankind or otherwise. In reply, he had been informed that the society had decided to make research on the question.