IN SEARCH OF THE HUIA BIRD

Taupo Times, Volume 20, Issue 7, 28 January 1971, Page 3

IN SEARCH OF THE HUIA BIRD

The upper part of the body is black with a green metallic gloss and the legs are bluish green. The white tail feathers were specially prized by Maori chieftains to adorn their headwear.

The huia is of particular interest to ornithologists everywhere as it is the only known bird in the world in which the male and female beaks differ.

The male beak is shorter, harder and sharper than the female, and it is used in a similar fashion to the woodpecker, pecking at trees to uncover bush grubs which the female collects in her long curved beak.

A search in the rugged Urewera country for traces of the very rare huia bird was undertaken recently by a regular visitor to Taupo, Mr R. (Bob) Holms, and three companions. Mr Holms, assistant head master at the Napier Intermediate School regards Taupo as his second home and has a holiday house at Two Mile Bay. On January 2 Mr Holms accompanied by Ron Ward, Peter Chard and Tom Ward, started out on a tramp to the headwaters of the Anini Stream, in dense bush behind the Waimaha Station about 40 miles west of Gisborne. They sought traces or signs of the rare huia, thought by many ornithologists to be extinct, and other rare and unusual native bird life. After spending the night at a whare at the back of Waimaha Station the four men awoke early next morning to prepare for the trek into the bush along Rua's Track. Many years ago the track was used as a cattle droving route, but today there is little sign of its earlier use. Dense bush and thick undergrowth is broken only by a narrow track with small discs on trees along the route to show the way. Party leader Ron Ward, who is chairman of the Hawke's Bay Mountain Safety Committee, was one of the trampers who marked the track several years before Specialist Peter Chard, who was to later figure in a serious accident, is also a member of the mountain safety committee and radio specialist, while Tom Ward is a Forest Service ranger. Bob described the tramp as one that could not be undertaken by amateurs. The area was chosen for the trip because of unconfirmed sightings of a bird resembling the huia several years ago. The four men took with them a tape recorder and amplifier. On the tape was a huia call, which had been especially initiated by an elderly Maori who could remember hunting the huia for his chieftain — there are no known recordings of an actual huia call in existence. The party also took cameras fitted with telescopic lenses to photograph any evidence of the existence of the bird. They also planned to fish the streams and enjoy the

tramp through the dense bush; and they had a permit to hunt deer for food. "But there is a saying that it always rains in the Ureweras and this was certainly true on the first four days of the tramp," said Bob Holms. The party was equipped with a radio broadcasting set and two walkie-talkies so the party could split up and still communicate with each other. Invaluable A 200 foot length of nylon rope carried as an emergency precaution later proved invaluable. A good supply of warm clothing and rations, including emergency rations, was also taken. "The precautions we took were a necessity and not a luxury." said Bob. Rain fell continuously for the first four days and nights of the tramp, swelling rivers and streams and making conditions difficult for the four men. Two bivouac tents provided sheiter from the incessant rain and polythene sheeting was used for sheiter A bushman's axe, which later caused an unfortunate accident to Peter Chard, provided wood to cook adequate meals and to dry out wet clothing. A small spirit burner came in handy when the time came to boil the billy. Challenge Bob said that the tramp in and out of the area with the heavy packs was a trial and a challenge. 'The bird life was prolific and it was a pity that we could not enjoy it when the weather finally broke. ' The denseness of the bush and the giant beech forests was a feature of the area," he said. The camp life under adverse conditions was a test of living in bush dampness and was enjoyed by each of the four men. The dense bush and isolated area proved a disadvantage for radio communications and these were virtually nonexistent. The men were unable to communicate by radio with Napier as they had arranged to do.