BIRD LIFE.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1923, Page 4

BIRD LIFE.

IT’S VALUE TO COUNTRY. The following items go to shew the value of bird life, a theme wliieli many are entirely ignorant of, and which it is necessary for our common welfare should he better understood.

It is estimated that the damage done by insect life in New Zealand aunualv amounts to at least £i\O(X),OGO. Birds are the natural enemies of these pests, and this damage could he much reduced liy intelligent conservation and control of bird life. Birds have many uses. The work ol the native birds is mainly' cnnlincd to the welfare of our torests and indigenous trees and plants, ami it i- of such importance to our particular forests which are largely dependent on birds for cross pollination, destitution of insect life, seed distribution etc., that should our native birds be exterminated the forests would be seriously allotted, and eventually die out. It behoves those who m> wantonly destroy native pigeons, the principal forest distributor. to ponder on such facts. It would be better if those people who are prone to think of all birds menemies, were to look deeper into the subject. Such study elicits are laet that nearly all birds are man’s friends and that the destruction some of them do i; more than amply compensated by tiie amount of insect life they destroy. Those insects would have consumed immeasurably more of our iood had they been aliowed to live. Birds perform great work in maintaining nature's wonderful ii.ilame. The pioduclivily of many insects a truly tihiriiiing. and hut lor the birds v, pi,.!, arc (heir principal enemy, dis-u-tei - truly appalling would sweep the hind. I-or .instance, a single catcrpilj ,i- cons:,mv.s Gfl.Oßil times its own wight in a month. The progeny c, eteii one l.ulL rllv which lays BO;) caterpillar eggs would consume quite an appreciable amount during their hi time, while the descendants nt a single viviparous Apliide would, il aB its prowith a ten foot layer of teeming given Hies. When one ponders on such lad:-, the great utility pur poses birds exercise becomes evident, as a single ne.-t of sparrows, which are one ol our least useful birds, is estimated to consume insects in a week.

The many purposes of birds and the great benefit they are to man is eyi<i< nt in many ways. Sonic are sect I distributors, .such as blackbird.-, ami tl,rushes which do not rctaiii iiard seeds a sufficient time to destroy them, while (he other hand the Californian quad totally destn>vs all seed consumed, ami i. , helps us by destroying gorse and l.ia.-ld nn v s-. .-is of both ol which they are particularly fond. Surely such lads demonstrate the gn at necessity of (are in introducing and controlling any birds or even any wild life, and it is a matter to bn regretted that such matters in this country are oflen the nutcome of recommendations hv quite inexperienced people. The value ot certain species ol birdsa prominent member of which is tinino|!ul:in destroying mite and rats cud oilier rciicnis i-. a great tailor .. il i-; considered how fast these lit: o- animal- are capable of incrsM-ang. \ i titn <. . Ii 1 ;i< i i 1;• M ! 1(11" b' () 11 1 1' I V!'“

At times these rodents lor some reason. possibly the temporary a'.-emc '.‘l pi-edacious ‘birds, gels the upper hand, (is happened recently in A list rnliv.. 'io n the bestrm tlon caued u someKcrtlcv in his work "The Importance o' Bird Life" thus di-courses on lie lemming i;i small animal ol the rat - per,.-:-found in Xoivay and Sweden). " I hey sweep in incalculable thousands i lowly ;i* r,):.-.- ie-e country, devouring all vegetation that stands in their path, auc leaving a brown barren strcltn behind. Tl.ev i 'a;-!' for nothing, swim brea'i liver-. 1 lakes, climb mountain 1 :. <rr.-- prairies uub llnallv plunge into lh( r can. At then hist appeavamc ~;v,larry animal, gallic'-, fnx- . v.Tv i' scripti-m ; r.ihh> on tin.’ trad of |!,C laj.imiin:- and figlit the rchvai i,o; lionfu ur lil it is .wallowed by the .-..a. Each 111" and hor-vs IraiUju l '- lie- rodent army undei foot when it attempt . to t i-i;.-. th-'-ir pasture. Xvtwrc enters all her living forces to pvc.v upon the insurgents.’’ By maintaining a constunt wav against insect it is computed birds save many millions of pounds to the world of agriculture, indeed wore it not lei iheir activities, agriculture would !•. .inline-.i'll -. Jinn in ihe eour-e ' ■ is operations produce.- cr-ps of a simiue'uie ill lhe same locality year a:,-’ r year. Thus an ever rrurring food spad . i avaihdi! •to our enemies ihe r-r so much that it is contended !•< mtiuv that life on this planet is aniil\- b. e lining more and mure a oon- -. i far .supremacy between man and inreci. and when ive learn that such , .(1 oj il- . Aim id--.-a ii'itou growing in-(hi-try by the fiell Weevil, this eontin.vi has sound found":ti n c-poeially v.* -cn it i. reint*inhered America pro- >.! !■(! -r.:iie - .-von iontlis of the world’s i -Vo: .■-;:!i;i!v. If is ( vid« Hi. v.c must i U eiuitrihiiie in enhanced roil-ou prices. ■ ..dug lo rl.-i- super in ■■■eels’ devastating The Veka which is net found now ijl • in \-.-w Zealand, having he- . ■.:<• in inr v pact- ipiiie extinct, jdny. -lev ; iicp.nl an i | art in ihe d .-l riv- : u, ~i h in-unis a - (he vela, which i.. a given limber i'.e-li oy: r. and the lava,/ - i-f l! is iusoet are becoming li .re and t-ioro evident year alter year. Its mandibles are -.> powerful that il i- : cdle to tunnel imo hal'd manuka, hui • it confined it- efforts to this wood : pue lie iviiii would not no so serious, but it frecl.v attacks birch or beech and r.ir-ny other timbers. It is here vlier in order that at least a remmiut <d i"" - -,. I-- a M • native lord life mav ren-niii.

from ivhii-h it may he possible when it i realised 'now nece.-snry our icilivo birds are to the- wclivre of our native t i-nhers. to so conserve and protr- t these feathered dwellers that: our f roxts may hr- r.'-slocked. It appears. as be; n the case in most other criuniries, that necessary drastic step; wd) ! - taken. ITmv much better and < !... r..p: r it- would be if the damage done !,.- i l . s!roving car native birds could be i- ali-.cd now, and the mistakes mad- by e-’c.cr countries borne in mind.