Bird Lifts in Dominion.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 October 1922, Page 4

Bird Lifts in Dominion.

1 c INTERESTING NEW FEATURES, j j DO MALES HAVE PLURAL MATES ? J and nest in pairs. j J Some vcrv interesting new features j i in New Zealand bird life were disclosed ,1 in n chat which a N.Z. “limes’ re- l porter has just had with Air Johannesi , Anderson, who is an authority on the i , subject, and can imitate the call. of. nearly every bird. Not only has he U lectured on this entertaining feature of j . natural history, but has delighted children with a series of articles which | he wrote for the “School Journal.” t REM A RKABLE DISCOVER A . ||is latest subject was “birds and | their songs and habits,” as a result of ■which a fantail’s double nest has been sent to him, the children of the, school making the find regarding it as.a , rarity.' It is. a rarity, as there had bees,' up till then, no record of birds double ’ nesting in any part of the world. The photograph was published, j ami this set the children all over the j Dominion looking out for double nests, i The double nest referred to was shown to the “Times”, reporter. There are two distinct nests, the sides of the two being woven together, so that the occupants could actually see and touch > each other. ] • EGOS IN ROTH SIDES. I Since the picture was published double nests had been found of the thrush, linnet and waxoyc (or blight bird). It was doubtful at first whether one half cf these nests had been built one season and the other half the next, hut doubts were resolved when some ol Ike children found double nests of the thrush and linnet with eggs in both sides. Even so it was not known how manv birds were concerned in the building of the nests, whether it vns, one pair, a bird with two mates, r.r . two pairs. It is known, however, that j in very favourable seasons in England < one cook bird will take two mates, so i it is possible that here in Now Zealand where the seasons are more favourable. the same sort of thing is taking place, as so far four thrushes’ double, nests have been found. The thrush's uosl differs from the blackbird's, in (bat it always has a lining either of j mud. droppings, or decayed wood. It is also usually built higher up in the \ tree or hedge. Blackbirds usually nest near the ground. NESTS RE-LINED. This season the youngsters arc watching to sec how many birds are concerned in the building of these nests. Mr Anderson has impressed on the children that if they kill the birds r r destroy the nests there is an end to the observations, and the object is to j get the children to observe what takes; place. i In regard to thrushes, where two nests are built side by side, another neculiaritv has been iouiul. A nest has been found in which two or three eggs have been laid. For some reason the bird had been dissatisfied with the : nest, or perhaps the female had boon killed, and a second lining had been put in the nest partially covering lliej first eggs. In the second lining an- , other hatch of ogggs was laid on the top of Hie first, and the young hatched j and reared without breaking the eggs jin the under nest. > ARE THEY MORMONS? ! Another fact discovered this season. It is probable that one cock bird takes more than one mate, because this sea- ! son a thrush’s nest lias been found eonlaiuiug eight, eggs. The usual niim- j her is four, sometimes five. Six have j keen found ill a nest on rare oeen- | sions, lull never more, so that the fact i that this nest contained eight eggs , seems to indicate that the thrush had taken two mates. It has been known 1 for two hens to mate together, for instance, amongst doves. How it was ; discovered was {Tint tlm doves laid , four eggs, and doves never lav more j than two. Tf it was the ease that, the j eight thrush eggs were laid by two j hens then they would never have j hatched. Air Anderson regards this ns , an abnormality not likely to occur : among birds living a natural, free life, j hut onlv amongst birds in pnntivitv. j , INTRODUCED TN THE ’SIXTIES, j AVben the thrush was first introduced j 1 into New Zealand, in the sixties, if . was very difficult to get il to live. For , ’ some reason it would not thrive. Tlipv j would he introduced and die out. and lie introduced again, and gradually ; ( they seemed to become acclimatised, j ■ and spread throughout the islands. | , There was then a lack of their natural food, worms, slugs, and snails, hut as , most of the worms now found are Eng- , lisli earth worms and not, .Maori earth 1 wurms. and slugs and snails are plcnti- 1 ful, the spread of slugs, snails, and worms, which would not ho observed by people, possibly accounts for the acclimatisation. ;