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Nelson Historical Society Journal, Volume 3, Issue 4, September 1978

Birds

Birds

Of the twenty-four species identified in this layer, 50% are maritime birds, 29.2% forest birds and 20.8% are wetland birds. Spring and summer exploitation is indicated by the penguins, shags, prion, petrel, sooty shearwater, juvenile heron, ducks, New Zealand falcon and South Island kaka. Autumn and winter exploitation is indicated by the weka, mollyhawk, New Zealand pigeon and yellow-crowned page 13parakeet. The little shag is available and equally exploitable all year round.

Evidence is present for exploitation at all seasons if it is assumed that species are taken at the time when they are most easily exploited or when they are in their best condition. Best (1942:156) suggests that there was a clearly defined secondary bird catching period when birds which had reached their best condition during autumn were taken. In this category he especially notes pigeon, kaka and tui.