All-a-Twitter A bird identification book
Sandie Legge Hugh Wilson Lloyd Esler
1 In memory of Gordon
Produced by Julie Campbell, Dawn Patterson and Chris Rance ISBN 0-476-01631-2
2 All - a - Twitter A bird identification book for children
Text by Sandie Legge Drawings by Hugh Wilson and Lloyd Esler September 2005
3 Fantails are flirty, Bellbirds are bossy,
4 Warblers are melodious and Cuckoos sly.
5 Silvereyes are anarchists,
Parakeets raucous,
6 Pükeko are skittery and Brown Creeper shy.
7 Kingfishers are flashy, Riflemen garrulous,
8 Weka are curious, I wonder why?
9 Tüï are pompous
and Wood Pigeon ponderous,
10 Robins are cheeky and so am I!
11 Pipits are timorous, Tomtits are teasers,
12 Blue Duck, Black Stilt and Wrens are rare.
13 Mohua and Takahë are birds of distinction, but sadly they’re perched on the brink of extinction.
14 Sparrows, Thrushes, Blackbirds and Starlings, Magpies, Finches and Doves,
unfortunate conscripts to New Zealand’s shores, but migrants settled and loved. 15 Käkä are secretive, Kea clowns,
16 Hawk and Falcon fine-tuned to kill.
17 Seagulls are querulous, Plovers ugglesome,
18 Terns are flighty and Oystercatchers feisty.
19 Shags are scraggy, Herons sedate,
20 Albatross are graceful and Penguins wombleoid.
21 ...the Morepork,
Käkäpö and Kiwi,
solitary creatures of the night... unique, precious and endangered. 22 23 English and Mäori names for native birds Albatross Toroa Bellbird Korimako Black Stilt Kakï Blue Duck Whio Brown Creeper Pïpipi Cuckoo (shining) Pïpïwharauroa Falcon Kärearea Fantail Piwakawaka Hawk Kahu Heron (White) Kotuku Kingfisher Kötare Kaka Käkä Kakapo Käkäpö Kea Kea Kiwi Kiwi Mohua (Yellow-head) Mohua Morepork Ruru Oystercatcher Törea Parakeet Käkäriki Penguin Kororä (Blue) Hoiho (Yellow-eyed) Pipit Pïhoihoi Pukeko Pükeko Rifleman Tïtitipounamu Robin Toutouwai Seagull Tarapunga Shag Kawau Silvereye (waxeye) Tauhou Takahe Takahë Tern Tara Tomtit Miro miro/ngiru ngiru Tui Tüï Warbler (grey) Riroriro Weka Weka
24 Glossary Anarchists Disobedient, badly behaved, unruly Conscripts Moved from home without permission Curious Keen to find out about things Distinction Different, unusual, special Endangered Not many left alive, nearly extinct Extinction No longer alive Feisty Bad tempered, full of energy Garrulous Talkative Graceful Gentle and charming Gregarious Likes to mix with and be with others Melodious Sweet singing Migrants Moving to another country to live Pompous Self important, grand Ponderous Slow, heavy, bulky Precious Very special/cannot be replaced Querulous Complaining always arguing Rare Not many, only a few Raucous Loud, harsh voice or noise Sedate Quiet, gentle and calm Shy Secretive, quiet, likes hiding Skittery Restless, jumpy Sly Doing bad things in secret Solitary Alone Timorous Shy, secretive and timid Ugglesome Ugly, not very pretty Unique Special, one of a kind Wombleoid Just like a Womble!
25 26 For more information on birds contact your local Forest and Bird Branch or visit www.forestandbird.org.nz
For Kiwi Conservation Club for children - “Club for Kids” www.forestandbird.org.nz/kccinfo
Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to:
Southland Branch of Forest and Bird for help with Te Rere yellow-eyed penguin reserve
Southland Natural History Society for education resources
Hinewai Reserve for the restoration of Hinewai Nature Reserve on Banks Peninsula
To purchase further copies please send $5 and a stamped self-addressed A5 size envelope to: PO Box 6297 Dunedin North
27 Printing costs generously donated by the Ron Greenwood Environmental Trust and the Community Trust of Southland ISBN 0-476-01631-2 28