Sydney Porter-—Notes on New Zealand Birds



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in the way of food. In fact at all times their appetite is prodigious,

as I have found to my cost.


The New Zealand Zosterops is an exceedingly active and restless

bird. Living in small flocks they pass through the undergrowth

minutely searching every leaf, nook, and cranny for the tiny insects

upon which they mainly feed. On their first appearance in New

Zealand they were looked on as a great blessing, for they speedily

cleared gardens and orchards of all manner of minute insects and

pests, especially the blight upon apple trees. Loud were the praises

sung of these feathered benefactors, but when the birds took payment

for their services, ah, well, that was another thing altogether. We

humans do not mind how much is done for us, but how loath we are

to give recompense, especially when our servants belong to the animal

kingdom. After a while this little bird was reviled on every hand for

the damage it did to the fruit crops. That a flock of these birds can

play havoc with a crop of fruit I have little doubt, for when through

the kindness of a friend in New Zealand I became possessed of fifty

of these birds, I was amazed at the quantity of fruit which they

consumed. Besides a large amount of soft food they devoured at least

half a dozen bananas and about a pound of apples per day, in fact

their food bill amounted to something like £1 a week. In feeding on

the apples, a small hole was pecked in one side and the whole flesh

devoured leaving the skin intact. At first I thought the birds must

dislike apples, as I saw what appeared to be the whole fruit intact,

but on taking it down I soon found my mistake.


The Zosterops are to be found everywhere, from the North Cape to

Stewart Island and from the limit of the alpine vegetation to the

forests which come down to the seashore. In severe weather it is

to be found in gardens, round about houses, and in the centre of the

large cities themselves. During the whole time the flock is moving

about they keep up an incessant twitter, which is exceedingly sweet

to listen to. In fact a large flock of these birds can be heard

from a considerable distance from the shore, providing that the sea

is calm.


The birds have also a very soft, sweet, warbling song. I have never

heard this song from the wild birds, they never seem to have time to



