34 Notornis, 2009, Vol. 56: 34-39 0029-4470 © The Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Inc. Why did bellbirds (Anthornis m. melanura) return to New Plymouth, and why have they gone again? DAVID G. MEDWAY 25A Norman Street, New Plymouth, New Zealand Abstract Between the 1850s and the early 1900s, most of the native forest of western Taranaki was systematically destroyed. This destruction likely accounted for the disappearance of bellbirds (Anthornis m. melanura), and other native birds, from most of that area. The return of bellbirds to New Plymouth in the 1920s may have been a direct result of increased food that had become available to them there. However, bellbirds have recently become rare visitors to New Plymouth. This may be the result of a possible reduction in the population of bellbirds in nearby Egmont National Park and/or increasing ambient temperatures in cooler months of the year. Medway, D.G. 2009. Why did bellbirds (Anthornis m. melanura) return to New Plymouth, and why have they gone again? Notornis 56(1): 34-39. Keywords bellbird; Anthornis m. melanura; Taranaki; forest destruction; population reduction; New Plymouth; population changes; possible causes INTRODUCTION was also present in the forests near and inland of At the time European settlement of New Plymouth New Plymouth at that time, but I have found only began in the early 1840s, dense native forest 3 specific references to their occurrence there in extended from near the coast over the lowland the 1800s. Hursthouse (1849: 23) said that, in the plains of western Taranaki and up the slopes of forest near New Plymouth in the 1840s, “One of the Mt Egmont. Dieffenbach (1843) gave a detailed most delightful songsters is the Makomako …. It is description of the nature and extent of the forest heard about sunrise, near the edges of the forest, inland of New Plymouth that he travelled through when several sing together, and the effect can only during his ascent of Mt Egmont in 1839. He be compared to the soft tinkling of numerous little specifically mentions the presence of stitchbird bells”. W. W. Smith (1925) mentioned that early (Notiomystis cincta), North Is robin (Petroica australis settlers on the Frankley Road, near New Plymouth, longipes), “very common” North Is saddleback still spoke of the exquisite dawn-music produced (Philesturnus rufusater), “flights” of North Is kaka by the bellbird choir. Skinner (quoted in Medway (Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis), and Cook’s 2002) recorded that in Sep 1885, at a bush camp near petrel (Pterodroma cookii). Inglewood, inland of New Plymouth, his survey In c.1850-60, bird-life was a prominent feature party was “awakened at daylight as usual by the of the forests inland from New Plymouth, with outburst of melody from the tui and makomako …”. whitehead (Mohoua albicilla) among the most Between the 1850s and the early 1900s, almost common birds. Whiteheads in flocks ofc. 30-40 used all the native forest of western Taranaki, with to frequent patches of forest in the gullies about the the notable exception of forest within Egmont town, and were invariably accompanied by a pair National Park, was intentionally and systematically of saddlebacks (Smith 1911). In Jun 1841, Weekes destroyed by felling and burning. By 1907, only (in Rutherford & Skinner 1969: 84) described the north and east Taranaki and Mt Egmont were still dawn chorus in the forest near New Plymouth as forest-clad (Fulton 1908). Extensive pastureland “an incomparable Dutch concert”. There can be replaced the native forest between New Plymouth little doubt that the bellbird (Anthornis m. melanura) and Egmont National Park. Only small scattered patches of native forest remained, with narrow Received 27 Feb 2007; accepted 26 Aug 2009 ribbons of native vegetation along the courses of *Correspondence: [email protected] the rivers and streams that radiate from the national Bellbirds in New Plymouth 35 park towards the coast. It was reported that native nectar used by bellbirds. W.W. Smith had no doubt forest birds were decreasing in Taranaki at this time, about the importance and necessity of planting and destruction of the forest was the reason most suitable food-bearing plants for native birds. In the commonly given for that decrease (Drummond South Is, he had observed how many of the honey- 1907). There is no need to speculate about the eating birds, in a time of stress, “visited the settlers’ causes of the continuing loss of native forest birds gardens and subsisted for weeks on the blossoms of from western Taranaki at the time Drummond the wattle-trees, blue gums, fuchsias, pentstemons, wrote. The role of deforestation in the elimination and many other plants growing in the flower- of birds should not be overlooked (McGlone 1989). borders”(Smith 1893). In New Plymouth, he saw The almost complete destruction of forest over most the value of winter and spring flowering wattles of western Taranaki would have been a sufficient and gums to silvereyes (Zosterops l. lateralis), tui and cause in itself. bellbirds. Those birds frequented the Henui Valley during winter where they subsisted largely on the RETURN OF BELLBIRDS TO NEW PLYMOUTH melliferous flowers of the Australian brush wattle W.W.Smith, a leading New Zealand ornithologist (Paraserianthes lophantha) which was plentiful there. and naturalist of his time, recorded the return of The kowhai (Sophora spp.) and gums (Eucalyptus the bellbird to the New Plymouth area in the early spp.) continued the supply through Sep, but “as the 1920s: “A most cheering fact for those who earnestly snow melts from the forest zone (on Mt Egmont) wish for the preservation of the different species of the birds return to it from the lower valleys to nest” our native birds has been the re-appearance and (Smith 1931). Graham & Veitch (2002) considered steady increase in numbers of the bellbird during that a significant increase in the number of bellbirds the past three or four years. For a long time it was so on Tiritiri Matangi Is may have been a direct result rarely heard or seen as to be practically unknown in of increased food as a consequence of the recent Taranaki, except in the most remote and inaccessible planting of a large number of native trees on the parts of the province, but now it is quite commonly island. The return of bellbirds to New Plymouth met with, not only in the bush reserves, but in in the 1920s may also have been a direct result of many localities much nearer town”. Smith went increased food that had become available to them on to mention that the bellbird was well-known at there, particularly during the cooler months of the Lepperton, visiting gardens for the honey-bearing year when their energy needs are greatest. trees and shrubs, while much nearer New Plymouth Pukekura Park in central New Plymouth was 1 had been reported up Smart Road, not more than reserved in 1876 as a botanic garden and public 4 miles from the centre of New Plymouth, and in recreation grounds. At that time it was covered with Waitara 1 visited a garden in the main street, right “fern, furze and tutu” (Scanlan 1978). Re-vegetation in the middle of that town (Smith 1925). Six years of the park began then. In 1934, a privately- later, Smith was able to record that “These glorious owned contiguous area known as Brooklands, songsters continue to increase annually and during which contained some remnant areas of semi- the last seven years individuals have returned to coastal native forest, was gifted to the (then) New their haunts in many districts” (Smith 1931). Plymouth Borough Council. Since then, Pukekura Guthrie-Smith (1914: 148) thought that bellbirds and Brooklands Parks have been administered would travel miles for suitable food when they had as a single unit known as Pukekura Park. The finished breeding. He hoped that “gardens even park comprises c.52 ha, and is surrounded by at considerable distances from any of our large urban development. It is now well-vegetated with forest reserves, would be thronged with these small remnants of native forest and innumerable other songsters”. He was convinced that the planting of planted native and exotic trees and shrubs, and a suitable “alien” shrubs was one of the ways in which great variety of other plants. the number of bellbirds could be increased. W. W. W.W.Smith was curator of Pukekura Park from Smith, who lived in New Plymouth, expressed the 1908-20. Smith and successive curators ensured that hope that “since this musician has come so near to plantings in the park included species that would us, cannot we induce him to come a little nearer by provide food sources for native birds. It is apparent planting more acacias, kowhai, flax, eucalyptus and from Smith’s above-quoted comments that he did abutilons in our parks and gardens?” (Smith 1925). not see or hear bellbirds in Pukekura Park during Bellbirds feed on nectar from many native and his time as curator, but they must have appeared introduced plants (Baker 1986, Castro & Robertson there within the next few years. A visitor mentioned 1997, Medway 2006, pers. obs.). An increasing hearing a bellbird calling in the park in Sep 1925, number and variety of plants, including many native Stidolph found Pukekura Park to be the “haunt” and introduced flowering plants, were being grown of the bellbird in Jan 1928, and bellbirds were said in parks and gardens in and near New Plymouth to have “made their home” in the native bush at from the early 1900s. Many of those plants provide Brooklands by 1933 (Taranaki Herald 19 Sep 1925, 2 36 Medway Sep 1933, Stidolph 1931).