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Sydney Porter—Notes on Neiv Zealand Birds



the males to get rid of the young birds that they chased them for

long distances until they were out of the vicinity.


So tame were the birds that one could sometimes go up and stroke

them whilst they were feeding. Once one ran up the stick I was holding

and examined between my fingers. Its intentions were hardly

complimentary ! The Bellbirds of Little Barrier Island were certainly

the tamest wild birds I have ever come across. I was shown a

photograph of the late caretaker’s wife, holding a bowl of nectar, the

birds were perching on the rim of the bowl, also on the hands, arms,

and shoulders of the lady.


Whenever a Tui came down to the porridge plate, the Bellbirds

at once gave way and offered no resistance. They seemed seldom

to leave the vicinity of the house ; they could be seen on the doorstep,

in the outhouses, or examining the contents of any bucket or tin left

about. With a little patience I am sure the birds could have been

induced to come into the house and feed from the table.


These birds are very keen on bathing, and almost as soon as one

had finished at the porridge, it would fly up to the spouting on one of

the outhouses and have a thorough bath.


This is one of the few species of New Zealand birds which seems to

have taken a new lease of life during the past twenty or thirty years

or so. In the ’90’s of the last century it seemed to disappear from

most districts and naturalists thought at that time that a few more

years would see its total extinction, but fortunately they were wrong.

Why and how it came back no one seems to know ; possibly it developed

an immunity to the diseases of the imported birds, for now in certain

spots it is common, especially in Stewart Island and in some parts of

the South Island. Many years ago the Bellbird was imported into

this country fairly frequently but it must be now between forty and

fifty years since this sweet songster was seen in the aviaries of British

aviculturists and like the Tui I doubt whether it will ever be seen

again, for like that bird it is strictly protected.


I saw one or two in captivity in New Zealand which were in perfect

condition and I was told of some one who had bred them to the third

generation. They are quite easy to keep, feeding upon the usual

sunbird nectar, insects, and berries.



