Birds of a feather dying together

 

First native trees, now birds are the latest victims via an act of poison.

Eight birds including thrushes, sparrows, blackbirds and one dove were reported to be dead and dying at an undisclosed address in Sailrock Drive, Mangawhai Heads.

Senior Constable Graham Gough says in early November he received a call from a local who was concerned about seeing dead birds on a property in their neighbourhood. Gough has spoken to the resident of the house.

“I’ve spoken to the resident at the address, we cleaned up the poisoned seed which was left in the garden and the bodies of the birds,” Gough says. “The matter now lies with the SPCA.”

However a spokesperson for the SPCA says that, as there is no law against bird poisoning, there is not a lot the organisation can do.

“It was not an ideal way of dealing with the situation… not what we would suggest or want.”

Other incidences of alleged bird poisoning around Mangawhai have caused an outcry on local social media in recent weeks, with Wood Street, Anchorage Road and Marram Place being cited as areas where dead birds have been found.

Members of Mangawhai Locals Facebook page are dismayed at the idea, deeming the poisoning as ‘unacceptable’, especially in close vicinity to Mangawhai’s wildlife refuge. They also expressed concern about young children and household pets being affected by the poison.

A report that an individual had been arrested in relation to the laying of the poisoning, has been refuted, Gough saying ‘the person was not arrested by us.’

By Julia Wade