HELP THE BIRDS TO BRAVE THE WINTERS.

Forest and Bird, Issue 31, 1 October 1933, Page 14

HELP THE BIRDS TO BRAVE THE WINTERS.

People are beginning to realise that the wholesale poisoning of small birds is a mistake. The fact about bird population is that a country can only maintain what it can carry through the winter and early spring. Birds are very hard pressed in New Zealand in August and September, and there are times when birds concentrating on some odd food supplies, do some damage. The remedy is feeding the birds, not poisoning them, because with the latter remedy we lose the activities of the birds in our fight against insect 'pests. The wholesale poisoning of birds is invariably followed by great destruction through insect pests. Last year the farmers raised a cry about grubs and appealed to the Government for assistance. This year caterpillars in some districts are cleaning up the crops. All this sort of thing has happened before in New Zealand. It is evident that all warnings about what will happen if birds are'killed in a wholesale manner are useless. The only convincing argument is the reality. The time when the caterpillars increase is exactly the time when the birds,, their natural enemies, can increase and will increase if they are encouraged. If they are discouraged and poisoned, the way is cleared for the caterpillars and the crops suffer. Save the birds by winter feeding and the onslaught on the caterpillars is increased and the crops saved.