Recent plans to cull a few black-backed gulls at the Green
Island landfill have ruffled some feathers.
There had not been a single vote for the black-backed gull in
Forest and Bird's Bird of the Year competition, by the end of
September.
The closest relative of the gull to feature in the
competition is the skua, which had received just 11 votes out
of more than 4500 at the same stage.
The description of the skua on the competition website
perhaps provides an explanation for its poor showing:
"According to Collins Guide to the Birds of NZ, skuas have
`hooked beaks and piratical habits', attack gulls and other
seabirds and eat offal, which makes them possibly the
underbird in Bird of the Year".
Well, ditto the black-backed gull, according to many of those
who have observed its habits.
On the other hand, when the prospect arose recently of a few
of the birds being offed at the landfill, there was something
of a hue and cry.
Not precisely the hue and cry ascribed to the gull, which
goes "uhuh, eeah - ha-ha-ha-ha-ha" or "kaloo, kaloo, kloo,
kloo, kloo, kloo", according to the Tiritiri Matangi website.
But voices were raised in protest.
"What utterly disgusting and unacceptable behaviour in this
day and age," wrote one Otago Daily Times correspondent of
the plans to cull the gulls.
The upshot was that the programme of offing the gulls was
stopped.
It was off.
Bird-lovers, no doubt, gave a sigh of relief.
Or perhaps a squawk, a "uhuh, eeah".
But not all of them.
Not all of the bird-lovers of Clariton Ave, for example, were
quite as delighted about the reprieve.
One such is John Neill, who knows a thing or two about the
gulls and particularly the landfill gulls, because Mr Neill
has lived the larger part of his life within a few wing-beats
of the city tip.
His present address, of 18 years, abuts the landfill, which
he says is extremely well-managed and a model neighbour.
"I have grown up around it.
I know when it's being looked after properly, when it is
being managed properly or not."
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