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Have you seen
this bird?
This bird is the Red Vented Bulbul and The Ministry for
Primary Industries (MPI) is calling for public support to track
them down.
MPI response manager Jaap Knegtmans says the ministry is
concerned a population may become established in Auckland and
threaten horticultural and native vegetation and local birds.
"The red-vented bulbul is aggressive to other birds and is
regarded as one of the world's most invasive bird species," he
says.
While the red-vented bulbuls may appear cute, they're
anything but, and urgent action is required to locate and
capture them before they become established, Knegtmans says.
"We'd like to hear from members of the public who believe
they've seen these birds and the sooner we can hear about a
potential sighting, the better," Knegtmans says.
Red-vented bulbuls are a medium-sized bird about the size of
a starling (20 centimetres in length – body and tail). They are
generally dark coloured with a lighter chest and rump, a small
crest on their head, and significantly, a very distinctive
crimson-red patch beneath their tail.
"This red patch is the key identification feature. If people
have seen a bird with these bright red feathers beneath the
tail, we urge them to contact MPI on its free exotic pest and
disease hotline – 0800 80 99 66. Taking a photo, if possible,
would also be a huge help."
For further information about these birds and also to hear a
recording of their distinctive call visit
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests/red-vented-bulbul
This new bird site is a partnership between Te
Papa, DOC, and The Ornithological Society of New Zealand.
It has an easy 3-step method that allows you to identify any
new birds you see at your feeders or in your garden.
By clicking on "Identify that bird" you then select the location
you spotted the bird e.g.. "urban park or garden", "farmland or
horticultural block" etc. The viewer is then shown a variety of
bird photos, from which you select the one closest in appearance
to one you have seen. In the final step you are shown all the
possible birds that your one could be. Clicking on a photo takes
you to a page of detailed information, photos and links to
further information about that bird.
This site is well worth a visit from those trying to identify
a bird in their New Zealand garden, or simply gain more
information on a particular bird.
http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz
Question
and Answer Section
Q.
"I purchased a window bird feeder for my grandparents last year
and they love it. However other people in their complex have
decided that the bird/bird seed makes too much mess under the
feeder and it can be seen by them!
Do you have any recommendations on the best feed to prevent
mess?"
I know this can be
a real problem but the solution is quite simple.
First use a really good bird seed because the birds will throw
out less when they are sorting through it to find their favorite
seeds. Many wild bird seeds sold in supermarkets etc contain a
high percentage of "filler seeds" to make up the bulk cheaply.
The second trick is to heat bird seeds in the microwave for a
few minutes and let cool before filling up the bird feeders.
The
heat will sterilise the seeds and prevent them from germinating
if they fall on the ground and the micro waved seeds taste the
same to the birds and won’t harm them in any way. For each 500g
of bird seed, microwave for two minutes on high power.
Q.
"How do I attract Tuis to my feeder?
My friend has one of your Tui Feeders and has Tuis feeding from it all day
long but when I purchased one and installed it in my garden, I
have had no visitors at all. It has been up for 3 weeks now"
All nectar feeding birds
are attracted to the colour red, because most of their food
sources are this colour. This is why we recommend that you use
red food colouring in your syrup, but we have heard of people
having GREAT success using a few drops of raspberry cordial (See
Mikes Story)
Many people also tie red ribbons to their feeders and we know of
one person who uses plastic flowers from a $2 shop with good
success.
One customer has several of our feeders in a large patch of bush
and paints them bright red with good results.
Be sure to keep your feeder bowl clean and free from dead
insects etc because Tuis are exceptionally fussy when it comes
to cleanliness.
Urban Birds Build Nests
With Cigarette Butts
It appears that urban birds are adapting to
city-dwelling by utilizing discarded cigarette butts, and now
scientists have figured out why. In a Mexican study
published in the journal Biology Letters, they revealed that the
reason may be to help the birds keep parasites at bay.
In the wild it is not uncommon for birds to bring
parasite-deterring plants into their nest which emit certain
chemicals, but now they are utilizing a new source of nesting
material. In Mexico City, where the study was conducted, the
nests of house sparrows and house finches had an average of 10
butts, but some contained up to 48 butts. Tobacco has repellent
properties and the nicotine and other chemicals in discarded
filters act as a pesticide that repels parasitic mites. Nicotine
is in fact a natural defense chemical used by the tobacco plant
to ward off plant-eating insects. It has also been used by
humans to control parasites in poultry, as well as to protect
crops from pests.
The Benefits of Garden
Mulch
We are great believers in using leaf litter and other garden
mulch to attract wild birds to our garden.
By piling up this garden litter under your shrubs or in a back
corner of your garden you are providing an ideal home for worms
and insects. Many native birds are not attracted to feeders but
insects form a large part of their diet.
The chart below shows some of our insect eating native birds.
Several of these such as the Morepork, the Shining Cuckoo, and
even the Fantail are becoming increasingly rarer in our New
Zealand suburbs, with their tidy gardens.
In suburban areas it is quite common to see Fantails flying
around compost bins as these are one of the few places that they
can find the small midges and flies that they feed on.
It is really worth the effort of encouraging insects into your
backyard when you see the Fantails flying and diving around, or
hear the call of a Morepork on a still night.
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