Gannet Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 Went for a walk around the mt the other day, and i came across 3 weka. has anyone else seen any?? didnt think that they were there. very kool small birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 Small birds??????????? Weka aint that small. You sure they werent quail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gannet Posted July 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 defently weka, when i say small i ment like 30-35cm, a big bird to me is like 60+cm. i have been lucky enough to work with weka at willow bank wild life reserve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoon Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 i used to work at the rubbish dump that backs onto willowbank we had a weka running around there with the pukekos , ducks, hens and a rooster! we got hold of willow bank to come and get it rather than it get run over by vehicles , im not sure if they ended up catching it they baited the trap with a dead baby chicken ! they said they would eat anything along those lines, savage things. i couldnt understand what all the fuss was about as there are heaps in other places just none around the city i guess - rare as hens teeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 We stayed in a tent on Stewart Island many moons ago and woke up in the morning to find that wekas had raided the food during the night and picked holes and consumed a bit of each of the 12 eggs in a carton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navarre Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 So story goes like this Weka like kiwi are devided in to geographical and DNA based groups( thanks DOC) in the late 1800's the Chattam Islands had eaten all the weka there so petioned NZ for a donation of birds 12 yes only 12 birds where shipped from Christchurch to the Islands in 1905. Now there are an estimated 60000 birds. It is theh only place in NZ where they are not protected and still make up a part of the diet. Along with Black swans which look like sheep on the islands but thats another story) in 2002 a "flock" of 14 birds where brought back and in 2005 a second group of 14 where also brought back to the east coast and it is the 2nd group which were established at Willowbank. They are ominivourus birds that are very aggo when they need to be males are slightly larger and have a longer beak and they have 2 very simple defensive mechanisms. Flight (or in this case run real fast) or spray offensive liquid poop South Island East Coast Buff Weka have been extinct on theh main land for some decades prior to the reintroduction from the Chattams in 2002 ish but Marlbrough Southland & West Coast Buff Weka are in declining numbers but protected. Oh and they are an aquired taste and arent as nice as Mutton Birds (TiTi) Navarre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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