August 25, 2025 • 6 mins
Dave Burgess of Environment Southland looks at rook control.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Welcome back to the Master. Dave Burgess from Environment South
and joins us. Next, is it is that time of year? Dave? Good, afternoon, Rocks,
we get to do the mighty rock call once again.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Yeah, good afternoon, Andy, Good to catch up. I thought
you might have done the rock call before the intro,
but I hope you've got it.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
I'll see how voicebox goes. It's actually not that easy
to do when you think about it. Look straight off
the cuff. We talk about rocks a lot of awareness
around them. We've spoken about this on many an occasion.
Are we winning the battle around these birds?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, technical we are. It's almost a success story. But
we just want to be vigilant and keep mentioning it
and talking about it. So we haven't really had them
in South and since twenty nineteen. We're a confirmed sighting
since twenty nineteen. So yeah, it's looking pretty good. But
it's just another example of you have being vigilant and
keeping a keeping a piece that may not be here,
(01:08):
but keep it, keeping it out of the region if
it does come back.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
So what do they look like if you do see one?
What's the comparison?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Well, they're just like a crow. If you've seen them
over and other or Great Briton, but similar stance to
a magpie, but they're all black. In the right light.
They might have a purple achene to them, but generally
all black. And in terms of a magpie, they're probably
a third bigger than the megpie. So a lot of
people do confusing with megpies, but obviously megpies are black
and white, whereas rocks are all black. And when they fly,
(01:38):
they've got a real slow, lazy wing flap and they're
quite a harsh call. It's a bit like a blue heron,
but yeah, quite a distinct harsh call. But they Yeah,
they came from Great Britain originally a lot like a
lot of things are bording for probably good reasons at
the time, but yeah, they just turned into a bit
of a disaster over the decades and set in South
Ords throughout in New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
As any particular farming enterprise, you're more than likely to
see them on.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, like overseas, you will see them in urban and
semi urban areas as well as farmland, but over here
and you're not likely to see that, but generally more
occupying farmland, they're a very weary bird. They don't like
sort of being around humans if you like, and they'll
try and avoid you. So yeah, it's more likely out
on the open farmland where there's big tree lanes that
(02:26):
they like to sitting on the top of those big
macro car for pines and pines and blue gums. So
they've got a good vantage point to look at and
spot any danger that might be coming near them.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
It's what damage can they do?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Yeah, the reason they're a pairs is particularly to destructive
on new young grass and newly so crops. So in
bigger numbers they'll go along and just pull out the
sprouts and do it quite a bit of devastation that way.
So in low numbers they don't really have a huge impact.
But we have had flocks of them throughout New Zealand
big numbers so Walks Bay he had real problems Cannabury
(03:01):
and Otago, but even the targoes down to the last
small number of birds. So yeah, it's looking pretty good.
But again we just want to highlight it and make
sure people are aware and we do have a good
sort video on air Environment Self and Test Hub which
next Sea shows what the rock looks like and help
flies and helps sounds, so we try and encourage people
(03:23):
to look that up on their environment self and test
hub website.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
There you go, I got the real thing this year.
That is the sound of a rock according to YouTube.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah, it's quite a harsh call in that rather.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
There's like a seagull on after a night out on
the darries. So if you do see one, control options,
don't take medics into your own hands. Get in touch
with yes.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah, preferably because they'll say they are very, very weary birds.
So you might only get one option or one chance
to do something. And the main options are shooting or poisoning,
but it depends on the numbers and where they are
and where they're living. So we would make that call
in conjunction with the landowner. But it was if one
or two birds, it might be that just shooting them
might be effective, but that the smaller numbers or poisoning
(04:12):
might be the better office, depending on what the feeding
are at the time. So yeah, this time of the year,
if people are out in the beout, particularly landing and
carving and doing the tractor a surely just extra sets
of eyes that help help keep an eye out for them.
But yeah, again, be looking for those young grass paddics
or the newly sown crops coming up over the next
few weeks or months, and that's where you might find them.
They love walnut trees as well. If you've got walnut
(04:34):
trees in the area, that's probably a good place to
find them over the next few weeks. Are they likely
to go at lambs, No, they're not. No, they're not.
But basically just grass grubs and invertebrates and in the plants.
It's just yeah, there's no real damage to lambs there
such and not a scavenger, but it's just their economic
damage they can do to a new grass paddic or
(04:55):
a crop. But again, they nest in trees at this
time of the year, so real big nests and they
stand out. They're very large and no mistaking what would
be using it because it's bigger than anything else would use.
So again, if those tall trees, you know, the blue gums,
the pines in the Americ car because you're not likely
to see them sitting on fence posts or smaller three lanes.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
So get in touch with as obviously from more rook
Ford Dave.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, got that website, that video on the website. It's
got to look at and people thinks I've seen one,
just reference that and it shows how they fly and
what they look like and what they sound like. But
there's other YouTube videos of what crows and rocks locked like.
And yeah, if you think I've seen one, give us
a ring asked for the buyer security thing, or preferably
(05:39):
you might want to just report it via the peace
Tybe website. And that gives you a chance to put
in all the details that we would need, rapid numbers, locations,
and more importantly, it gives you a chance to put
a have done on a map for us, So it
takes out takes away a bit of a guess work
or where you might be talking about. So yeah, again,
we haven't had them for a few years. We just
want people to be vigilant and understand that they are
a pest. And most regions in New Zealand have had
(06:02):
real success stories and had very few birds now and
we just want to, yeah, get them down to zero
if we can, and we're zero at the moment in
the South and but they could come back from anywhere.
We just want people to be aware.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Prevention overcure. Dave Burgess nothing wrong with that. Always got
to catch up.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Hey, thanks Andy, you'll catch up next time. Cheers.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
There you go, all about rocks, the sound of a
rock an interesting thing to keep an eye out for,
of course. Dave burgess On behalf of Environments Southland, and
before we wrap up, a frangle
Welcome back to the Master. Dave Burgess from Environment South
and joins us. Next, is it is that time of year? Dave? Good, afternoon, Rocks,
we get to do the mighty rock call once again.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Yeah, good afternoon, Andy, Good to catch up. I thought
you might have done the rock call before the intro,
but I hope you've got it.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
I'll see how voicebox goes. It's actually not that easy
to do when you think about it. Look straight off
the cuff. We talk about rocks a lot of awareness
around them. We've spoken about this on many an occasion.
Are we winning the battle around these birds?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, technical we are. It's almost a success story. But
we just want to be vigilant and keep mentioning it
and talking about it. So we haven't really had them
in South and since twenty nineteen. We're a confirmed sighting
since twenty nineteen. So yeah, it's looking pretty good. But
it's just another example of you have being vigilant and
keeping a keeping a piece that may not be here,
(01:08):
but keep it, keeping it out of the region if
it does come back.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
So what do they look like if you do see one?
What's the comparison?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Well, they're just like a crow. If you've seen them
over and other or Great Briton, but similar stance to
a magpie, but they're all black. In the right light.
They might have a purple achene to them, but generally
all black. And in terms of a magpie, they're probably
a third bigger than the megpie. So a lot of
people do confusing with megpies, but obviously megpies are black
and white, whereas rocks are all black. And when they fly,
(01:38):
they've got a real slow, lazy wing flap and they're
quite a harsh call. It's a bit like a blue heron,
but yeah, quite a distinct harsh call. But they Yeah,
they came from Great Britain originally a lot like a
lot of things are bording for probably good reasons at
the time, but yeah, they just turned into a bit
of a disaster over the decades and set in South
Ords throughout in New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
As any particular farming enterprise, you're more than likely to
see them on.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, like overseas, you will see them in urban and
semi urban areas as well as farmland, but over here
and you're not likely to see that, but generally more
occupying farmland, they're a very weary bird. They don't like
sort of being around humans if you like, and they'll
try and avoid you. So yeah, it's more likely out
on the open farmland where there's big tree lanes that
(02:26):
they like to sitting on the top of those big
macro car for pines and pines and blue gums. So
they've got a good vantage point to look at and
spot any danger that might be coming near them.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
It's what damage can they do?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Yeah, the reason they're a pairs is particularly to destructive
on new young grass and newly so crops. So in
bigger numbers they'll go along and just pull out the
sprouts and do it quite a bit of devastation that way.
So in low numbers they don't really have a huge impact.
But we have had flocks of them throughout New Zealand
big numbers so Walks Bay he had real problems Cannabury
(03:01):
and Otago, but even the targoes down to the last
small number of birds. So yeah, it's looking pretty good.
But again we just want to highlight it and make
sure people are aware and we do have a good
sort video on air Environment Self and Test Hub which
next Sea shows what the rock looks like and help
flies and helps sounds, so we try and encourage people
(03:23):
to look that up on their environment self and test
hub website.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
There you go, I got the real thing this year.
That is the sound of a rock according to YouTube.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah, it's quite a harsh call in that rather.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
There's like a seagull on after a night out on
the darries. So if you do see one, control options,
don't take medics into your own hands. Get in touch
with yes.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah, preferably because they'll say they are very, very weary birds.
So you might only get one option or one chance
to do something. And the main options are shooting or poisoning,
but it depends on the numbers and where they are
and where they're living. So we would make that call
in conjunction with the landowner. But it was if one
or two birds, it might be that just shooting them
might be effective, but that the smaller numbers or poisoning
(04:12):
might be the better office, depending on what the feeding
are at the time. So yeah, this time of the year,
if people are out in the beout, particularly landing and
carving and doing the tractor a surely just extra sets
of eyes that help help keep an eye out for them.
But yeah, again, be looking for those young grass paddics
or the newly sown crops coming up over the next
few weeks or months, and that's where you might find them.
They love walnut trees as well. If you've got walnut
(04:34):
trees in the area, that's probably a good place to
find them over the next few weeks. Are they likely
to go at lambs, No, they're not. No, they're not.
But basically just grass grubs and invertebrates and in the plants.
It's just yeah, there's no real damage to lambs there
such and not a scavenger, but it's just their economic
damage they can do to a new grass paddic or
(04:55):
a crop. But again, they nest in trees at this
time of the year, so real big nests and they
stand out. They're very large and no mistaking what would
be using it because it's bigger than anything else would use.
So again, if those tall trees, you know, the blue gums,
the pines in the Americ car because you're not likely
to see them sitting on fence posts or smaller three lanes.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
So get in touch with as obviously from more rook
Ford Dave.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, got that website, that video on the website. It's
got to look at and people thinks I've seen one,
just reference that and it shows how they fly and
what they look like and what they sound like. But
there's other YouTube videos of what crows and rocks locked like.
And yeah, if you think I've seen one, give us
a ring asked for the buyer security thing, or preferably
(05:39):
you might want to just report it via the peace
Tybe website. And that gives you a chance to put
in all the details that we would need, rapid numbers, locations,
and more importantly, it gives you a chance to put
a have done on a map for us, So it
takes out takes away a bit of a guess work
or where you might be talking about. So yeah, again,
we haven't had them for a few years. We just
want people to be vigilant and understand that they are
a pest. And most regions in New Zealand have had
(06:02):
real success stories and had very few birds now and
we just want to, yeah, get them down to zero
if we can, and we're zero at the moment in
the South and but they could come back from anywhere.
We just want people to be aware.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Prevention overcure. Dave Burgess nothing wrong with that. Always got
to catch up.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Hey, thanks Andy, you'll catch up next time. Cheers.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
There you go, all about rocks, the sound of a
rock an interesting thing to keep an eye out for,
of course. Dave burgess On behalf of Environments Southland, and
before we wrap up, a frangle
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