Ali Meade: Forest and Bird spokesperson on kārearea attacking Wellington walkers

This year's winning Bird of the Year, the kārearea, is attacking Wellington walkers on a popular bush walk.

The native falcons are nesting along Haywards Track - and swooping on unwary hikers.

Hutt City Council is asking people to hold off walking between Whites Line East and Mawson Street, for now. 

Forest and Bird's Ali Meade says people who see the birds should leave as quickly as possible.

"They might scour the back of your head a little bit - they just don't want you there and you could hurt them if they come into contact with you as well."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now we've got a little bit of a bird problem
in Wellington car area. Are dive bombing walkers on the
Haywood track that runs between the Hut and Porta Elimede
is from Forest and Burden with us.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Hey, Ellie, good afternoon. How's it going.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
I'm well, thank you. Are they doing this because they're nesting.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
They are, they'll be busy at this time of year
with either eggs or with chicks, and so they're just
warning people to stay away from them because they're very
busy right now.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
If you're walking on the track and the dive bombing you,
is it dangerous?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
It's not ideal. They will try and avoid you, but
they could come into contact with you. So it's much
better to not walk down that truck, not walk down
that track. And if you do see them, walk away,
move away out of the area and just leave them alone.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
What can you do if they start dive bombing you?
What's the like, what's the proven way to protect yourself?

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Just leave the area just as quickly, calmball without falling
over and without injuring yourself. But get out of the area,
trying to stay calm and just move away from.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Ellie, Geez you're making this sound really INTI so what
are they going to do to you?

Speaker 2 (01:02):
No, it's not intense. But they might touch the back
of their head, they might scour the back of your
head a little bit. They just don't want you there,
and you could hurt them if they come into contact
you as with you as well. So it's much better
to just avoid the situation.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
Okay, let's say, Ellie, let's say that you are hell
beans or you have to walk this track for some reason.
You just have to do it, and you have to
take your chances with the birds. What do you do
to protect yourself?

Speaker 2 (01:28):
You go through that as quickly as possible. I mean no,
because you don't want to come into contact with them,
because if you hit them with a stick, you're going
to really hurt them. So it's much better to just
avoid them.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
If you had to pick teen bird or team human.
You're on team bird here, though, aren't you.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
I'm on team bird here. These are the bird of
the year. These are amazing, amazing animals. They're really in danger.
But at this time of year when they've got babies,
and I've I think that that's okay. We all want
to protect our babies. We've got young we want to
look after them. This is the only thing they can
do to protect those babies are real risk from everything
that's coming to eat them. We don't really need to

(02:11):
go down that track. Okay, give them a bit of space, all.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
Right, Ellie, thanks very much to appreciate it. That's Alie Meed,
Forest and Bird Group manager for con Conservation Project Delivery.
It's a little bit like an Alfred Hitchcock film, isn't
it a Cardia? By the way, if you don't know
what the cardi area is, it's the falcon So it's
not like you're being You're not being dive bombed by
I don't know the fantail here. You know, this one's
got claws and stuff, so you probably do want to
be a little bit careful. For more from Hither Duplessy

(02:36):
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