Conversations with Karearea
Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:19 am – Posted by Mandy | 7 Comments
Blogger: Campaign Manager for the Falcon, Alan McDougall
Recently, I managed to obtain an interview with Kakarapiti, a cocky young male kārearea resident in Wellington, to ask who we should vote for for Bird of the Year. His answer was not what I expected.
NZ Falcon, Photo: Craig Mckenzie
AM: What do you spend your time on at the moment?
I spend my time on the three “F”s: Flying, Feeding, and, er, Finding a Mate. That’s quite a lot of action to fit into each day. Especially at this time of year where that third “F” is most important.
AM: OK, we’ll try and keep it short. Tell me who should be New Zealand’s Bird of the Year 2010?
Well, I am a fan of blackbirds. They sit in exposed spots and sing about how they own the neighbourhood or something—to be honest I’ve never really listened to their witterings—but the really nice thing is that when they are startled they sometimes fly straight straight up, which means if you time your stoop right you can let them fly right into your talons. Most satisfying.
AM: Hang on a bit there. New Zealand Bird of the Year is when we choose what bird we like the best, not which bird we like to eat the best. Generally we humans like colourful, cute things with nice singing voices–
Pointless! An earful of song never got your belly full. The feathered I like best are the feathered that feeds me. Look, you asked the question, and I shall answer it.
I like ducks, though I am too small to catch them by myself. That is something I hope to do with my future mate. My nest-mother and nest-father once brought a duck back for my sister and I before we fledged. We feasted for a day!
Sparrows are OK, though small. I don’t like starlings. They taste bad. But there are so many of them. And food is food.
AM: You’ve named only introduced birds. Why’s that?
You mean the feathered that arrived with the plague of you? Well, there are so many more of those.
But yes, a tuī is always nice. They think they are so tough in numbers, but they will all take cover when they hear me. I wonder about kaka, but they are a little too smart and large to be easy prey. In days past our larger cousins would have made kaka their prey.
I’m told there are lots of interesting feathered that come out only at night time. There is one, the kiwi, that is much liked by you featherless. What does it taste like?
AM: You can’t eat a kiwi!
What? So you like them, without tasting of them? That does not make sense. I want to taste one. There is a wooded valley not far from here full of the feathered of these islands, and even some kiwi. But that area is already held by a nesting pair and I dare not go there.
I forgot. Another feathered bird I really like are those white ones some of you keep.
AM: You are talking about pigeons? You realise that’s a bit upsetting, you eating those. They’re our pets you know.
“Pets”? I just do not understand you featherless tribe. If you do not eat them, why do you keep them? Look, they are really easy for me to catch. I just have to wait close by until one of you lets them all out. So easy.
Easy is good. Easy means I have time to do the other two “F”s. Furred and feathered alike, and especially young males, look for the easy. When you were young, what was the easy way for you to get food?
AM: I used to raid the fridge.
All right then. You may think of me as “raiding the fridge”.
AM: Uhhh, OK. Nearly finished now. Last question: How do you feel about being anthropomorphised so shamelessly?
Personally, I do not care. But I think it reflects pretty badly on you so-called brainy monkeys that you have to make your representations of us talk and think like yourselves before you can understand and respect us.
But what would I know: I’m only a bird.
And with that, he was off.
Vote New Zealand Falcon / Kārearea for Bird of the Year. To vote in Forest & Bird’s Bird of the Year poll, go here - www.forestandbird.org.nz/poll
Just don’t eat them.
When not Flying, Feeding, or Finding a mate, Kakarapiti may be found on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kakarapiti.
I love our raptors - I just don’t know which one I like best - kahu, karearea, and now barn owl. Is that a raptor?
Great stuff Alan!
I’d like to add a couple of things on ‘f’ for ‘feeding’
I was privileged enough to watch a number of Karearea nests throughout Otago over 3 breeding seasons during the making of the environmental film “Karearea: the pine falcon.” Probably less to do with taste and more to do with availability their favourite feathered’s in the pine plantations were most definitely Yellowhammers. In fact I very rarely saw them bringing back any native birds at all (well maybe the odd Tui every now and then).
The late George Chance, who watched his beloved Karearea for over a decade, would often tell me of one little male that had a taste for hares - absolutely remarkable for a bird this size!
There’s something much more about this fearless little falcon though. Ok, it doesn’t have the comedy of the Pukeko or the voice of the Bellbird but there is something that really connects Karearea to the New Zealand landscape. For me there’s nothing to compare with hearing its eerie call and seeing a glimpse of Karearea flying at high speed over the tussock country of Central Otago. It really is quite a special little bird and will get my vote every time!
Sandy:
I agree. We used to have them on our farm in Central Otago where I grew up, and I have had many memorable encounters with them (some of which I wrote about last year here: http://blog.forestandbird.org.nz/born-to-be-wild/ ). They seem to have established themselves in Western Wellington now which means I often get to hear them hunting the suburban brushlands. It’s a sound that never fails to thrill.
Still working on getting a decent photo or two of our Wellington falcons, but patience is the name of that game.
Wairau Plains would now be the centre for falcon observations due to the falcons for grapes funding.
Sandy:
I left a comment here a while back but it never appeared (adding a link to my comment must have got it flagged as spam, even though it was a link back to this website!).
Anyway, I was wondering if your documentary is going to be showing on TV anytime, or is it available on DVD? I’d love to see it.
Alan:
I’ve only just read your question, unfortunately I didn’t receive any notification of your reply when you first posted it.
“Karearea: the pine falcon” screened on the Documentary Channel in NZ on Christmas day. I think the channel has since been taken over so not sure it’s going to screen there again. The DVD is available from: https://www.createspace.com/297215
Thanks for your interest in the film!
Best wishes,
Sandy
Hi there, I’m the Editor of NZ children’s title, Upstart Magazine. Upstart Magazine is a nationwide publication for boys and girls aged 7-13 years, distributed largely through primary and intermediate schools. I am just putting together a piece on the Karearea for our October/November 2011 issue and wondered if you or anyone reading this could supply us with a high res photograph to use? We currently have a wonderful photograph sent in by a young reader pictured with a Karearea sitting on his hand. BUT I would also like to publish another photograph alongside it which shows the bird more clearly. Hoping someone may be able to help. I need the photograph quite urgently…before the end of the week. My email addy is sue@syrupcreative.co.nz. Many thanks for your consideration.