Home gardens
 |
Average numbers of top 20 bird species detected at once in gardens, July 2007 Silvereyes were recorded in the greatest numbers (average 10.2 per garden). House sparrows averaged 9.4, starlings 3.1, blackbirds 2.7, greenfinches 1.2, and other species less than 1.0 per garden. In general, more birds were recorded in gardens where birds were fed than where they were not. |
|
Percentage of gardens in which top 20 bird species were detected, July 2007 Blackbirds were the most widely distributed species, being present in 90% of home gardens, followed by house sparrows in 86%, silvereyes 81%, starlings 61%, song thrushes 52%, and other species less than 50% of home gardens. |
Gardens where birds were fed |
|
|
Average number of birds detected in gardens where birds were fed compared with gardens where they were not, July 2007 In general, more birds were recorded in gardens where supplementary food was provided than where it was not. For example, there were 14.9 silvereyes per garden where birds were fed compared with 4.7 per garden where they were not fed. Similarly, there were 11.5 house sparrows per garden where birds were fed compared with 7.1 per garden where they were not fed.
|
Sixty-eight percent of participants fed birds in their home gardens. This does not mean that 68% of households in New Zealand feed birds because people who feed birds are probably more likely to have participated in the survey than those who don’t feed birds.
Bread, fat, seeds, and fruit each comprised 20–24% of the food fed to birds, and sugar-water 11%. Other foods included food scraps, porridge, mashed potato, and cooked rice.
Silvereye
The largest numbers of silvereyes were from gardens where birds were fed sugar-water and fat. Carol Sawyer from Mosgiel had the highest count of silvereyes (200+). She put out 10 large bowls of sugar-water daily and the silvereyes “swarmed around them like bees” . They can drink 10 litres or more in a day. Pat Dobson from Waimate put out sugar-water and a fat/seed mixture (also fruit and bread) and also counted at least 200 silvereyes. She said silvereyes “love mashed potato with a little fat, and also love porridge”. Sue Holliday from Ashburton put out sugar-water, fat and fruit and had 150 silvereyes in her garden. She said the silvereyes also sought out nectar from flowering Eucalyptus, Grevillea, Correa, Melaleuca and other plants growing in her garden. She had plants flowering all year round. Myarie Fletcher, from Rangiora, put out 6 litres of sugar-water per day and counted 20–30 silvereyes during her survey, but said “there seems like a hundred about at all times.” Her garden is known as the “hundreds and thousands” garden because of the large number of birds she attracts (and also the large number of seedling plants she grows). Rona Horan from Leeston put out nine bags of rendered down fat mixed with wild bird seed and said there could be up to 10 silvereyes at each bag (she counted 60–70 at one time during her hour of observation). Silvereyes also eat bread.
 |
 |
| Silvereyes at sugar-water feeders (photo C. Sawyers, Mosgiel) | Silvereyes at feeder with bread (photo H. Christophers, Upper Hutt) |
Tui & bellbird
The largest numbers of tui and bellbirds were also from gardens where birds were fed sugar-water. One survey participant (Neville Campbell, Riverton) put out 2 litres of sugar-water daily in five locations around his garden and recorded 35 tui, 45 bellbirds, and 35 silvereyes. Another participant who put out sugar-water (Russell Mason, Pounawea) counted 48 tui and 40 silvereyes, though only 3 bellbirds.
Kaka
Richard McNair, Coromandel, had tui, bellbirds, silvereyes, and kaka come to his sugar-water feeder. He counted 27 tui, 23 silvereyes, 2 bellbirds, and 1 kaka during his hour of observation. He said, “The kaka came to the feeder every evening”. It also ate dates.
The record number of kaka comes from Stewart Island, where Susan Ford put out fat, fruit, and seeds for birds and had up to 24 kaka in her garden daily (although she recorded only 17 in the survey). Susan had some amusing stories to tell concerning kaka. One day while working in her kitchen there was a sudden downpour of rain outside, so she went to close the ranch-sliders in her living room, only to discover 17 kaka sitting on the floor and couch sheltering from the rain. Another time a kaka came inside at night and helped itself to nibbles laid out for dinner-party guests.
 |
 |
 |
Tui around sugar-water feeder |
Kaka visiting sugar-water feeder | Kaka feeding on dates |
| (Photos R. McNair, Coromandel, July 2007) | ||
Feeding wild birds
Feeding of wild birds is controversial. I’ll add information on the pros and cons at a later date. However, in the interim I’d like to make a comment on feeding sugar-water. One survey participant used one part of sugar to two parts of water (33% concentration), and another used one part of sugar to three parts of water (25%). Birds will certainly appreciate these concentrations (generally the higher the concentration the more birds are attracted to the sugar-water) but the usually recommended concentration is one part of sugar to four parts of water (20%), and some people use one part of sugar to five parts of water (17%). Never use honey because it can spread bee diseases.