THE GERMAN OWL

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1932, Page 6

THE GERMAN OWL

•MENACE TO NATIVE BIRDS. WELLINGTON, September 27. Graye concern was expressed at the montniy meeting of the executive t of the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society about the havoc which is oeing played with smaller Birds by Get man on Is. It was decided to interview the Minister of Internal Aff.'.irs with a’ view to getting his de- ) artment to offer a reward for the destruction of these imported pests..

The president (Air R. A. Anderspn, 0.M.G., of Invercargill) presided, a nd theie were also present Messrs W. H. Denton, B. C. Aston, Johannes C. Andersen, and Captain E. V. Sanderson, secretary.

“You will perhaps remember,’’ wrote Mr F. Milner, headmaster of the Wailaki B'oys’ High School, “that I wrote to you recently concerning the depredations of the German owl. This vicious, pest was • introduced by the Otago Acclimat sation Society about the year 1910, and its rapid increase in numbers is a distinct menace to the very existence of our smaller native birds, especially the tomtits, fantails and riro-riro.

“My recent experience may be illuminating. I offered half-a-crown a head for these German owls alive or dead. My boys have brought me 55 in a very short time. One boy, who lives in the country, took fifteen from the same hole in a large willow: tree, and the supply shows no signs of decrease. He baits a rabbit trap, and sets it on a ledge near the ingress, and as the ’.nOW tenants shift in they get trapped through investigating the bait. Apartments are at ai premium in the owl ; country, and all attractive sites command queues. A local farmer who has a property a t Bortons, North Otago, writes to me a-s follows: “Those responsible for the importation oi these voracious pests should be called upon to pay for their extermination. Every plantation in this district is infested with them. I honestly believe there are thousands of them within a mile or two of this farm. 1 have always taken a keen interest in the distinctive native bird life of New Zealand and have lived seven years on the West Coast of this island, some years in the King Country, and five in Southland. In each case I have lived right in the bush. In iny considered opinion, a few more years will see the end of the most of our delightful and friendly litte native birds in this province.”

“My boys,” Air Milner continued, “have frequently found the owls’, nests and ghastly; relic? of their victims strewn about. I counted four of these noctural vampires issuing from a nearby belt of. gums the other evening. ClipownShrubberies" have been de>nuded of our charming little native friends. Cannot the society take up the matter of exterminating! this pestbefore it is too late? There are very effective ways of trapping oWL; In fact, several of my boys are getting so adept as to command a stable income from my reward.”

Captain E. V. Sanderson agreed that the German owl was unquestionably the most serious menace which faced native birds. - In the discussion which) followed it was that trapping might be good plan to reduce the -numbers of German owls. Contain Sanderson was afraid that bellbircls and other larger valued native birds might fall victims to the traps. The president said that it was found that starlings were the only birds which occasionally were caught in rabbit traps in Southland.