Sydney Porter—Notes on New Zealand Birds



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bird in the forest has such a repertoire as this one. It is when

surrounded by a flock of excited birds as they hop and skip from

one branch to another that their affinity to the Lories is so very

apparent.


Sad to relate, Stewart Island is a veritable slaughter ground for

these interesting birds ; parties of people with launches come over

from the mainland and indulge in Pigeon- and Kaka-shooting

expeditions. They sail up the quiet inlets where there is no fear of

detection and make heavy bags of both of these birds. We found

many piles of Kaka heads and feathers and often freshly-killed birds.

It seems as though little can be done to stop this disgusting slaughter,

for the island is very large and it is impossible to have rangers about

all the time.


The food of this bird is mainly berries and fruit from the various

forest trees ; it also sucks the nectar from the honey-bearing flowers

with the aid of its brush-tipped tongue. It finds much of its sustenance

in the large wood-boring grubs, and to reach them it will bite through

thick branches of living wood. It is amazing the depth to which it

will bore through the wood. The Maoris tell me that the birds listen

for the grubs and then bite into the wood until they are reached.


The Kaka is about the size of the Lemon-crested Cockatoo and

a peculiar shade of greyish-brown, each feather edged with a darker

colour ; the crown is light grey, the ear-coverts yellow or orange-red,

the lower parts, rump, lower, and upper tail-coverts, dull crimson ;

the feathers around the hind neck are often suffused with this colour.

The under-wing-coverts are bright scarlet, barred with brown. Prom

these latter feathers the Maoris make many of their beautiful feather

cloaks. Incredible patience must have been used in the manufacture

of one of these garments and the feathers of many hundreds of birds

must have been used in the making of a large one.



