Jhe £mu 



Official Organ of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. 



'* Birds of a fc2itt)cr.' 



Vol. XI.] 2ND OCTOBER, 191 1. [Part 2. 



Bush'Birds of New Zealand. 



l'>v j. ( . M'Lkan, M.B.CJ.L., Gisborne, X.Z. 

 Part II. 

 Nestor meridionalis — Kaka Parrot. 



Buller, " Birds of New Zealand " (2nd edition), vol. i., p. 151. 

 Although a few Kakas, generally single birds, were noticed 

 through April in different parts of this bush, it was not until the 

 winter, when the tawari ripened, that they became common. In 

 the middle of May they appeared, and increased in numbers, 

 the birch ridges being well populated for the next eight or ten 

 weeks. This was on the northern side. On the south there was 

 no great number of these trees, and, as they did not bear much 

 fruit in 1907, the Kaka, though perhaps a little more plentiful 

 in winter than in autumn, was never there such a common bird. 



Though of rare distribution in the Dominion, and local in its 

 habitat, the tawari {Txerba hrexioides) was a feature in this bush, 

 at about 2,500 feet, and, growing to about one-third the height 

 of the tallest birch, constituted, with that tree, practically the 

 whole of the forest vegetation on the highest parts. It is a hand- 

 some tree, rarely exceeding 2 feet in diameter ; and its spreading 

 branches, with long leaves, produce in midsummer, at their tips, 

 bunches of beautiful flowers of waxy whiteness. The resulting 

 fruit, a five-seeded capsule, about one-half inch in diameter, 

 begins to open in May, and reveals the shining black seeds which 

 the Kaka so much enjoys. In fine weather the trees around the 

 first and second camps resounded, in the early morning, with the 

 soft and pleasing whistle of these birds. All along the ridge the 

 birds were numerous, and each more favoured tree, in different 

 parts, had its small party of four or five. The Kakas spent the 

 night some distance down the sides, but l)y daybreak were busy 

 in the trees, and for an hour or two fed eagerly, retiring during 

 the heat of the day to the shade of the birch trees, where they 

 digested the meal, and, with occasional soft notes, appeared to 

 be quite happy. During the afternoon they would again visit 

 the trees, where they fed until almost dark before retiring for the 

 night. In dull weather and in rain they fed more or less all day, 

 and were then perhaps a little quieter than on sunny days. On 



