An Early New Zealand Settler Talks about Birds



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Bushfellers would find the nests high up in holes in the big trees

when felling the bush, and give the young birds to the nearest settlers,

if unhurt, wdien the tree fell. They were always in great demand.


I enjoy writing about the Tui, or Parson Bird as he is commonly

called. He seems very proud of that white tuft of feathers on his

throat, and rolls it up and down like an Adam’s apple when he bursts

into song. When younger I could imitate the calls of most of our

native birds and I used to delight in giving the distress cry of the female

Tui. All the cock birds would come that were in the vicinity with their

feathers all fluffed up looking for a fight and very angry. But they soon

took a tumble and left me on my own again. The distress call sounds

like a long string of “ pee-pee-pee ”. It is, I find, one of the hardest

calls to imitate. You have to make it with the lips and throat, not the

tongue. At one time the Tui was supposed to be the Game Bird of our

forests, and he could be a bit of a bully. I have seen him tormenting

the inoffensive Pigeon until showers of white breast-feathers were

flying in all directions. Anyway, I know of one imported bird about

his own size that is too many for him, the Starling, but the Tui is the

one who always starts the trouble and then is glad to get back to the

bush again.


Watching the Tui in the shade of the forest you would think it was

just a plain black colour, but when it starts darting about in the sun

you are surprised at the flashes of beautiful blue-green of its plumage.

In the early days before flax mills started there were thousands of

acres of flax bushes in virgin state, and in the summer months there

was a sea of flax sticks in flower, heavy with honey, and then the Tuis

would leave the bush and have a glorious time. That was the time

to hear their song. They also love the gum-tree flowers, and will travel

long distances to them in season even when growing close to towns.


When I first came to the Manawahe my farm was nearly all heavy

bush, and after felling and burning it and sowing with grass seed I

used to notice the Pigeons flying on to the ground, a thing I had never

seen them do before, so I got curious and waited my chance, and

finally found out they were fond of the lumps of new cow grass (large

clover). It surprised me to see the way and the amount they ate in a

short time. It is said the Wild Pigeon is a timid bird, but I have proved



