An afternoon at the beach

About 130 bird species were introduced to New Zealand following European settlement, and about 40 of them are still around. The term used for these introductions is “successful”, but given the impact on native wildlife, that doesn’t seem quite right. The blackbird (Turdus merula) was one of the earliest introductions, brought here because English settlers missed hearing the blackbird’s song. Today, blackbirds are found throughout the country, near human habitation and into the bush. And occasionally at the beach! I really like the way this guy’s dark feathers stand out against the rocks and shells. Although they’re very common, they don’t gather together; instead, unsociable males vigorously defend their territory during the breeding season, and the male and female will hang out in different parts of the territory during the rest of the year. The scientific name is Turdus (thrush) + merula (blackbird). Another Turdus species has also been “successfully” introduced to New Zealand, the song thrush, whose species name is philomelos, referring to a Greek myth in which Philomela, an Athenian princess, had her tongue cut out and was then changed into a songbird. That’s the short version of the story, but as I consider this more a Disney feed than an HBO feed, I think I’ll avoid going into it further.