Native birds of
New Zealand that visit our
neighbourhood / bird feeding stations. Above is a
Tui - Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae. And
pictured below on our doorstep is a winter
visitor, the kea - Nestor notabilis.
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Takahe:
Porphyrio hochstetteri.
Once thought extinct, the Takahe was re-discovered
in 1948. The Takahe breeding program is
located in Te Anau, 15 mins drive from
Beechwood Lodge.
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Bellbird:
Anthoris melanura.
Maori language name: Korimako. The
bellbird has a flute-like song which is
sometimes confused with that of the Tui.
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Tui:
Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae.
Maori language name: Tui.NZ Robin:
Petroica australis. Below.
Maori language name: Toutouwai.
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Pigeon:
Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae. Maori
language name: Kereru. Grey
Fantail: Rhipidura
fuliginosa. Maori language
name: Piwaka-waka.
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Silver
Eye: Zosterops
Lateralis. (left)
Maori language name: Tauhou.
Grey
Warbler: Gerygone
Igata.
Maori language name: Riroriro.
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Kea
Nestor notabilis is the only alpine parrot in
the world and lives in the forest and mountain
regions of the South Island New Zealand. Keas are
readily seen on the drive to Milford Sound, they
will sit by the roadside to beg for food -
however, feeding them is very much discouraged.
Kea are legendary for their intelligence and
curiousity, both vital to their survival in a
harsh mountain environment. Their curiousity
leads them to peck and carry away unguarded items
of clothing, or to prise apart rubber parts of
cars - to the entertainment and annoyance of
human observers.
Takahe
is a flightless bird indigenous to New Zealand.
It was thought to be extinct since 1898. However,
after a carefully planned search effort the bird
was rediscovered by Doctor Geoffrey Orbell near
Lake Te Anau in the Murchison Mountains on Nov 20th
1948. Length is up to 25 inches / 63cm. You can
view a group of Takahe in the wild-bird park
enclosure in Te Anau where the Takahe restoration
program is located.
Bellbird
has a bell-like song which is
sometimes confused with that of the tui. The
bellbird forms a significant component of the
famed New Zealand dawn chorous of bird song that
was much noted by early European settlers.
Bellbirds are frequent visitors to our birdfeeder
in Manapouri.
Tui
also frequent our birdfeeders, we have coutned
nine at one time! They are considered to be very
intelligent, much like parrots. They also
resemble parrots in their ability to clearly
imitate human speech, and are known for their
noisy, unusual call, different for each
individual, that combine bellbird-like notes with
clicks, cackles, timber-like creaks and groans,
and wheezing sounds—the unusual possession
of 2 voiceboxes enable Tui to perform such a
myriad of vocalisations.
Some of the huge range of Tui sounds are
beyond the human register. Watching a Tui sing,
one can observe gaps in the sound when the beak
is agape and throat tufts throbbing. Nectar is
the primary diet but fruit and insects are
frequently taken.
The powered flight of Tui is quite loud as
they have developed short wide wings, giving
excellent manoeuverablity in the dense forest
they prefer, but requiring rapid flapping.
Breeding season early spring - Sept and Oct.
Females alone build nests of twigs, grasses and
mosses.
New
Zealand Robin is a sparrow sized
bird. It is their bright breast that gave the
birds their name, in comparison with the bright
breast of the European Robin. The birds can be
seen on the Manapouri Circle Track walk. They
generally inhabit the forest fringe.
New
Zealand Pigeon the kereru is
endemic to New Zealand. Commonly called wood
pigeons they are frequently seen roosting in
Manapouri.
Grey
Fantail the bird is almost never
still it flits from perch to perch on the twigs
of a tree and may alight on the ground - as if
challenging a hiker on a trail. The birds are not
shy, and will often flit within a few metres of
people,
in doing so, it is able to catch any small flying
insects that may have been disturbed by human
activities such as walking or digging. If you
hold out a walking stick the fantail may alight
momentarily on the stick - fishing rod.
The birds often flit around the outside of our
lodge looking for insects.
Silver
Eyes also known as wax-eye, or
white-eye, has a conspicuous white ring around
the eye, thus giving the bird its name. They were
recorded in New Zealand as early as 1832. It is
assumed that a storm caught a migrating flock and
diverted them here. The Maori name, Tauhou,
means “stranger”. Because the
silver–eye colonised New Zealand naturally,
it is classified as a native species and is
therefore protected. They feed in flocks over
winter, eating fats, cooked meats, and bread and
sugar water. The birds have a specially
adapted tongue, with bristles, which allows them
to lap up nectar.
Grey
Warbler is more commonly heard
than seen. Its sweet, tremulous trill, so unlike
the note of any other native bird - can be heard
in the trees and hedges surrounding Beechwood
Lodge. A small bird, only four inches long and
yet it is the shining cuckoo's favourite host.
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