A Hard Act to Swallow
Guest Bloggers: Campaign Manager for the Welcome Swallow, Phoebe Borwick & Haddon Smith
The Welcome Swallow is a newcomer on the New Zealand native bird scene. Winging it from Australia in the ’20s, it has made a big impression in its short time on these shores. A welcome addition, it is thought to have come to NZ when its annual migration from the Australian mainland to Tasmania was lead astray by a storm. It is a beautiful bird with dark coat of black and brown and a fiery red underbelly – indicative of it’s deep powerful presence and burning passion for its new home.
A vote for the Welcome Swallow is a vote for the new era of NZ bird life…
The Welcome Swallow is a hard act to swallow, fighting a winning battle for territory with the Piwakawaka, who shares it’s biological niche. In this modern cut-throat world of ours, ‘out with the old; in with the new’ is the best philosophy to follow. Indeed, NZ’s true blue natives have been happy to swallow their pride and take this Australian redneck under their wing.
A vote for the Welcome Swallow will bring fortune upon you and your family…
In ancient Greece the Welcome Swallow’s Northern ancestors were associated with household gods, and their presence was seen as a sign of the gods’ favour – to do a Swallow harm was to bring evil upon yourself and your family. This should not be ignored in light of the Welcome Swallow’s quest to become NZ’s 2009 BOTY (Bird Of The Year).
The Welcome Swallow is the bird best prepared to be a positive Ambassador for NZ…
Like ourselves, the Swallow family hails from Africa and has spread across the globe, now breeding on every continent bar Antarctica. Likewise, many breeds of Swallow are global roamers, choosing to migrate overseas annually. The Welcome Swallow is a very adaptable bird whose global networks and proven, innate ability to think on its wing-beat will help it to take NZ bird culture to the world.
A late, but welcome entry in this years bird of the year election, the Welcome Swallow is poised to take flight and your vote will see the Welcome Swallow come home to roost where it truly belongs – nestling proud among NZ bird royalty.
