ROYAL SPOONBILL

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 124, 22 November 1932, Page 12

ROYAL SPOONBILL

RARE BIRD IDENTIFIED

Tho rare bird which was observed by several people in the vicinity of the Panmure bridge over the Tamaki River on Wednesday was identified on Friday by.Mr. R. A. Falla, ornithologist at the War Memorial Museum, as a royal spoonbill, a rare bird very akin to the white heron, which the visitor was at first thought to be (states the "New Zealand Herald").

The. bird has beeii seen daily sinco Wednesday, and appears to have established itself, its habits being regular. At high tide it perches on a pine tree, and at low water feeds on the tidal flats near the bridge. Mr. Falla visited Panmu're on Friday morning}' and for some time watched the bird, which he was able definitely to recognise as a spoonbill. ' r-

The royal spoonbill is not a native of New Zealand, its- home being Queensland and- the' northern territory of Australia. It is thought that the bird is a .straggler which has made its way to New Zealand. Up to this year only four were known to have been seen in the Dominion since 1870, but this year three have been seen.

In July a royal spoonbill frequented Western Springs for a month and was photographed there. Its presence was not made public, as the zoo authorities wished to,induce the bird to stay and were guarding "against it being frightened. Another spoonbill was shot near Hokianga by a Maori, who did not know what the bird was, but by the time the museum authorities heard of, the capture the bird had been destroyed. There is no royal spoonbill in the museum collection, although a skeleton is mounted. It is not intended to try to-capture or shoot the present bird, as it. is felt desirable to protect rare visitors.

The royal spoonbill is very' similar in appearance to the. white heron and was' known to the Maoris as kotuku ngutupapa, or the white heron with the flat bill. The spatulate bill is the only easily recognised point of difference, as the colouring and size of the birds are -similar, while their habits are identical.