THE "WHITE CRANE" AT FOXTON
Sir,—So sparingly docs the "white crane" or "kotuku" of the Maoris wake its appearance in New Zealand that "rare as the kotuku" has become a Native proverb; indeed, it has been alleged that this remarkable bird appears in the North Island only once in a lifetime ("He kotuku rercnga tahi"),' so that tho people of Foxf.on have some reason to feel elated upon the honour of a visit, and a brief descrintion of the beautiful bird and soma reference to it may be of more than usual/interest at the present time. Although locally known as the "wluto crane," the bird is not, strictly 6peaking, n crane but a heron, and the natural history books refer to it as the "while heron!" or, technically, sis Ardea egrett*. The whole of tho plumage is snowy white. The eyes are yellow, the loral skin being of a greenish yellow. The bill is bright, yellow, though it has occasionally been found brownish coloured. The legs are black,' the joints being tinned with yellow. is 40 inches. The extent of its wings is 51J inches. .The tail measures seven inches. The bill measures five inches along the ridge, the lower mandible being fi! inches in length. The middle toe and claw are 4J inches long, the hind loe and claw being 21 inches in length. The' "white crane" is a stately bird, and. as it. stalks about, its haunts or in shallow* water, its beautiful snow-white plumage renders it a very striking and conspicuous obiect. It frequents swampy ■ areas and feeds on eels and freshwater fish. The bird is naturally- timid and shy, and it is difficult to gain near access to it. Tho first recorded specimen in New Zealand was seen at Whaingaroa (Raglan) in 1853. Another was shot at HurWs mill reservoir near Wellington in 1856. Tn 1858 ono made its appearance in the. Wairarapa, and in ]8.>9 Timaru was visited bv at least one adult bird "which fell a victim to powder and shot. Whangnpe Lake. Lower Waikato, was favoured bv a visit from a pair m 1P64. and in 1805 a pair also paid awit of «everal weeks' duration to "hangarei. The district at the mouth of the Maketu Itiver as well as the banks of the Wailii were similarly favoured in 1807. ,' r '~. The beautiful plumago of . this remarkable bird has ; always been prized bv tho Maoris, and the Maori folk-fora 'a full of reference to it. (Vide Tho Lament for TeHiataii" in Sir Georgfl Grev's "Poetry of the New Zcnlandcrs, page 162). , . „ „ Although so rarely found in New /,eaJa'id th"re is probably nn other bird so widely distributed throughout the globe. The white heron is common in India and the northern parts of Ceylon. It ia found throughout China. It emends from the Malay Archipelago through many pt the South Pacific Islands to Australia (on the eastern side) as far as lasmania. It has even ' been found in Siberia. Tt is common in Asia Minor and occasionally visits both Palestine and Greece. As a straggler it has been seen in the British Isles.-I am, €tC " PEECIVAL R. WADDY. '
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 17, 15 October 1919, Page 8
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524THE "WHITE CRANE" AT FOXTON Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 17, 15 October 1919, Page 8
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