Encouraging native birds in Whanganui gardens

A kereru feeding on a ti kouka (cabbage tree) in Phil Thomsen's Whanganui garden in autumn. Photo / Phil Thomsen

OPINION

One of the great joys in living in Whanganui is the presence of native birds. When I've stayed in suburban Christchurch or Hawke's Bay, I'm lucky to hear or see anything other than starlings, blackbirds and sparrows. How can we encourage more native birds in our gardens?

The most significant way is through plantings. Taller shrubs and trees give birds a chance to feed without having to move down to the "cat danger zone". However, this is difficult in the small sections that many people have these days.

Twice each year (during the flowering and berry ripening stages) I have kererū feasting on the berries of cabbage trees in my garden (see the picture); however these grow too large for many gardens, and the leaves can be a nuisance (I mulch with bark under mine, so I can basically ignore the leaves). Kōwhai, however, can be kept to a manageable size. It is amazing how tūī in particular seem to know just when kōwhai flowers are available in places where they aren't usually seen, such as parts of Gonville.

Other native trees that provide food are generally quite large. These include pōhutukawa and pūriri (the latter has both nectar-producing flowers and berries, so has a long season for feeding on). There are various exotic trees that are also favoured by tūī and bellbirds in particular, such as eucalypts and coastal banksia, but they become large trees.

Phil Thomsen encourages native birds into his garden.

Nectar-feeding birds also love the flowers of some lower plants with relatively high flowers. The list includes harakeke (NZ flax) and the non-native aloes (eg Aloe arborescens) which grow luxuriously in sandy and windy suburbs such as Castlecliff and Tawhero.

Sheet-composting organic matter on the garden surface encourages a range of insects (this doesn't include flies, if compost is laid down in thin layers), which are favoured by insect-feeding birds such as pīwakawaka (fantail), grey warbler and waxeyes (the latter feed on flowers and fruit too). Simply growing a range of natural plants in the garden, rather than just barren areas of concrete or weed-sprayed lawns, provides a biodiversity that is favoured by native birds.

Other general aspects can encourage native birds. Not keeping cats, or keeping them inside at night, allows ruru (morepork) to feed freely. Trapping possums and rats will have the same effect. There has been a suggestion that avoiding feeding birds with bread etc has the same result – the feeding process may lead to large number of sparrows and other introduced birds, which may crowd out the native ones. Providing a bird bath where cats can't easily stalk the birds, is a boon to birds such as tūī.
We can all do our bit to encourage the survival and proliferation of our unique and special range of birds. Observing them also adds to our quality of life and mental well-being.