New Zealand Bird Life by Dr

STERN TANAGEH Los Angeles Audubon Society volume 51 Number 9 June 1985 New Zealand Bird life by Dr. Michael H. Rosove Maxine D. Wolf may my heart always be open to little birds who are the secrets of living e.e. cummings " ew Zealand, located in the South Pacific southeast of Australia, is far away from the frenetic pace of the workaday life of Los Angeles. Only the southern tip of South America, the subantarctic islands, Antarctica lie farther south. At 45° South latitude, the December days are long and the twilight lingers. The sun sweeps across the North, Orion is upside down, and the constellations and Megellanic clouds of the Southern hemisphere glitter on clear nights. The country is composed of two principal islands, North and South, and several smaller outlying islands, comprising a land mass about two-thirds that of California. It is a region of many habitats: oceans, coasts, wetlands, rolling farmlands, subtropical forests in the North, and dense mountain Fantail Illustration by Maxine Wolf forests with breathtaking alpine scenes and glaciers in the South. Most New Zealanders live in or near several main cities, including Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and While the main purpose of our four week tively comprehensive. For example, the Huia Dunedin, leaving large tracts of agricul- vacation in New Zealand last December was is given full treatment although the bird has turally productive, sparsely populated land, to be together and "get away from it all," our not been recorded alive since 1907. It is cau- and substantial tracts of native unspoiled binoculars were packed into our bags as tiously "presumed extinct." (Maybe you will bush. There are 3 million people, 60 million surely as our clothing and toothbrushes. We be its rediscoverer.) The circumpolar sheep, and billions of birds. returned from New Zealand refreshed and Emperor Penguin is similarly treated because New Zealanders are so friendly and with indelible memories. The birds stole a one bird came ashore in 1967. A new compre- extend themselves so naturally that the bit of our hearts, and we would like to share hensive book in large format has just been American traveler is immediately taken in by some ways to enhance your birding enjoy- released under the title of Complete Book of their warmth. All the more so for the visiting ment in this land "down under." New Zealand Birds edited by C.J.R. Robertson birder; New Zealanders have a strong con- For starters, the essential field guide is The with 77 contributors (Reader's Digest, Sidney, sciousness of their birds, as there are no New Guide to the Birds of New Zealand, by 1985, 319 pp, 330 color photos). This book is native mammals. Native birds are protected, R.A. Falla, R.B. Simpson, and E.G. Turbott the very latest standard reference work and is a different species is depicted on each cur- (Collins, Auckland and London, 1983, 8vo, highly recommended. We recommend two rency denomination, many New Zealanders 247 pp., 48 color plates plus additional illus- additional items to those interested in beauti- know their birdlife well, and, of course, they trations, NZ $20). This superb and indispen- fully made, high quality books. One is New refer to themselves affectionately as Kiwis. sible guide is sanctioned by the Ornithological Zealand Birds, by W.Jacob, D. Braithwaite, D. Environmental issues have become as Society of New Zealand. It contains full des- Hadden, and J. Warham (Kowhai Publishing important and familiar to New Zealanders as criptions of the 315 species recorded in New Ltd., Christchurch and Auckland, 1983,4to, III they are to us in the United States. Zealand since the last century. It is exhaus- pp., 125 color photographs, NZ $20). This is a June '85 collection of stunning photographs by some of New Zealand's best known bird photo- graphers, with good habitat descriptions. The other is Buller's Birds of New Zealand, edited by E.G. Turbott (Whitcoulls Publishers, Christ- church, Sydney, and London, 1982, folio, 261 pp., 48 color plates, in slip case, NZ $75). This book is a handsomely made reproduction of A History of the Birds of New Zealand, originally published in 1888, a collaboration between the great ornithologist Sir Walter Lawry Buller and artist E.G. Keulemans. Many of the original writings, and all of the original plates are reproduced with high quality. You may find these books at Whitcoulls, on Queens Street, in Auckland, and at many other book stores. On the naming of birds, many native birds have retained their Maori names. In general, the accent is on the-first syllable. Most Maori names are onomatopoetic for the birds' calls. We were intrigued by this cultural difference, as most English names describe how a bird looks or behaves. Once you arrive in New Zealand, you will find myriads of flying creatures inhabiting the roadsides, especially in rural areas. The bird density is so high in some places that it is nearly impossible to avoid accidents between bird and auto. Several times our inner peace Australian gannets at Cape Kidnappers was terribly disturbed as the result of unin- tended collisions. Among the rural roadside Low tide exposes broad expanses of beach within yards and see the birds nest building, and park birds, non-native species of Euro- and mudflats often abutting on mangroves or egg warming, chick rearing, searching for pean origin are the Mallard, Rock Dove, Sta- leading to inland waters. It is not surprising food, preening, and nuzzling. rling, Song Thrush, Blackbird (a thrush), that these environments host a remarkable The 50 square mile Otago Peninsula near Skylark, Hedge "Sparrow", House Sparrow, number of bird species. The Auckland envir- Dunedin is a must. Even those uninterested in Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Yellowhammer, Green- ons, Bay of Islands, and Firth of Thames are birds will be taken by the environment — bay finch, and Redpoll. Other non-native birds are good examples in the North Island; the Otago shore on one side, open sea with beautiful the Indian Myna (North Island only) and two Peninsula and Lake Ellesmere are examples beaches and steep cliffs on the other, rolling Australian Bell-Magpies, the White-backed on the South Island. One may expect to see grassy hills, and forests. Visit the Royal Alba- (widespread), and the Black-backed (locally several shag species, the White-faced and Reef tross colony at the far end of the peninsula. common — look hard in the Hawkes Bay area Herons, New Zealand Scaup, Mallard and The colony is fenced off and protected. Ticket of the North Island). Seven natives are the Grey duck, Variable (Black) and Southern reservations must be obtained from the Grey Duck; the Weka, a flightless rail to be Pied Oystercatchers. Pied Stilt, Spur-winged Government Tourist Bureau in Dunedin. This found near South Island forests; the Pukeko, Plover, and New Zealand Kingsfisher in many will probably be your only chance to view another rail found in swampy or moister areas locales. Several places deserve special these enormous oceanic birds in New of both islands; the Harrier, usually seen soar- mention. Zealand. ing overhead or picking at carrion; the New The Firth of Thames is an enormous sea While driving to the colony, look for a sign Zealand Falcon, a hilly back country inhabit- inlet, largely surrounded by land. Be sure to for Penguin Place, turn off to the farm house, ant, and quite rare; the welcome Swallow, visit Miranda at high tide. The area is host to- and obtain a key (for a nominal charge) to self-introduced from Australia several decades common coastal species, the Knot and Bar- pass through the locked gate a hundred or so ago; and the New Zealand Pipit, whose colora- tailed Godwit, and numerous migrants. Many yards from the albatross colony. tion and body habits are virtually identical to of the century's rarest sightings have been At the far end there is a beach overlook the Skylark. In fact, differentiation is often dif- made here. To those especially interested in where Yellow-eyed Pengunis may be found. ficult and frustrating. It is easy to say a bird isa shore birds, this is paradise. While on the peninsula, take a side trip to Skylark when the bird shows its slight crest, or You must not miss the Australian Gannet Allen's Beach. The beach is an unspoiled flies into a wind, stationary above the ground, colony at Cape Kidnappers (North Island, beauty — a walk to the south end will bring singing and trilling neurotically and seem- near Napier) during the breeding season you to another Yellow-eyed Penguin colony. ingly without end. It is more difficult to say it is which begins in October. These large, geor- We fought a fresh gale and rain storm to get a pipit. Just hope to catch one land on the geously colored birds of six-foot wingspan are there. But it was no matter to the birds. Obli- ground with its distinctive behavior, several perhaps the most majestic birds in the coastal vious to the weather, they rode the wave and bobs of the tail. Most will go undifferentiated waters. This is the only mainland-based col- waddled ashore to their nests in shrubbery — we called these "pi-larks"! The Greenfinch ony in the world. Call ahead by telephone to adjacent to the beach. and Hedge "Sparrow" are uncommon. Look obtain tide information, as the beach is impas- New Zealand is well endowed with shags, for both in the botanical gardens in Christ- sable at high tide. From the road end, there is and you may expect to see many including the church and for the Greenfinch in the park in a beautiful and leisurely five mile (each way) Pied, Black, Little, and Little Black varieties.

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