Whangārei centre frees owl trapped by ‘bird-catching’ parapara tree

Recovery centre staff gave the native morepork owl (ruru) something akin to a spa treatment when they nursed it back to health after its misadventure with a parapara tree.

A native owl (ruru) that got itself into a sticky mess during an encounter with a parapara tree, has been released back to the wild after treatment at Whangārei’s Native Bird Recovery Centre.

The ruru or morepork was taken to the centre this month by a resident who found it in distress and unable to fly after coming into contact with the dreaded parapara - a plant fittingly also known as the ‘bird-catching tree‘.

Centre founder Robert Webb said staff gave the bird something akin to a spa treatment as he and staff painstakingly cleaned the sticky substance off it with a citrus-based solvent, then bathed the bird, wrapped it in a towel, and fluffed its feathers back up with a blow-dryer.

The bird rested at the centre for a few days before being returned to the open.

A citrus-based solvent is applied as part of a painstakingly treatment to remove a sticky sap-like substance from a Ruru's feathers.

During spring and summer, the parapara tree develops a glue-like coating on its seeds, which is designed to assist their dispersal and stays sticky for months, Webb said.

Small birds such as fantails and wax-eyes, a few of which he’d previously treated for the same problem, were attracted to the seeds - probably because of the bugs that got stuck to them, Webb said.

Unable to escape the tree’s sticky grip, the small birds either died of exhaustion or became prey for bigger predators like owls, which then also got stuck.

Endemic to New Zealand, the parapara tree, with its variegated leaves, is common in gardens around Northland. Many people didn’t know they had it or thought it was a loquat tree until they discovered a bird caught in it or noticed their cat’s fur was suddenly sticky.

Webb encouraged people to remove the trees from their gardens and said anyone who found a bird stuck in it should bring the bird to the recovery centre.

Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.