If you have lived in Paekakariki for a while, you’ve probably noticed our tui population explosion, but have you been lucky enough to spot the bellbirds? Actually, given their beautiful melodic singing, you’re more likely to hear them first. This winter they have been seen and heard at the northern end of Wellington Rd and around the stream in Queen Elizabeth Park. There are several in Ocean Rd and a few at the northern end of Ames Street.
According to DOC, bellbirds were common when Europeans arrived in New Zealand, but their numbers declined sharply with the arrival of ship rats and stoats until it was thought they might disappear from the mainland entirely. There has been some recovery, however they remain rare in areas, including parts of Wellington. Bellbirds live in native and regenerating forest, and can be spotted in urban areas, especially if there is bush nearby. This kind of news warms the heart of a Nga Uruora member and makes us want to take a little credit for the years of revegetation work and predator control on the escarpment and surrounding areas. If you’re interested in sipping your morning cuppa to the accompaniment of wild music, there are ways to extend this work and make your garden more appealing to bellbirds and other native species.
Like many of us, they can be lured with food. Bellbirds eat fruit, insects and nectar, with insects being particularly important to females and chicks during the breeding season. Favourite native plant species include kowhai, flax, puriri and fuchsia, but they’re not fussy and are happy to feed from gums, banksias, proteas, camellias, abutilon (Chinese Lantern) and bottlebrush bushes during autumn and winter when few natives are flowering. By planting a variety of species, you can help create a network of feeding options for them, making it easier for them to stay all year round.
The second aspect of making them feel welcome is ensuring they are safe from predators such as rats and cats. Removing food sources and setting traps can lower the prevalence of rats; your cat’s impact can be limited by putting a bell around its neck and keeping it in at night. Best not get those two the wrong way round.
If you are unsure about identifying a bellbird, you might visit nzbirds.com for some good drawings or whatbird.co.nz for some audio. Good luck with luring the live experience to your place!