Have a look for rooks
September heralds the beginning of the nesting season for rooks and Greater Wellington is asking rural residents to be its eyes and ears to help locate breeding populations.
Rooks have been in Wairarapa for about 80 years and were introduced to New Zealand in the late 1800s to control pasture insects.
Unfortunately, they also enjoy crop seed, crop seedlings and mature grains, says Greater Wellington pest animal officer Steve Playle.
“They can wreak havoc in summer when they band together in large flocks and arrive in crop paddocks en masse. In these circumstances rooks can wipe out newly sown or emerging crops, costing farmers time and money.”
From left - a rook, a magpie and a blackbird
This is exactly the sort of rook activity Greater Wellington wants to stop.
Mr Playle says the rook problem peaked in Wairarapa in the mid 1990s, with entire crops in South Wairarapa and Whareama being wiped out.
“Years of annual control have substantially reduced the rook population across the region but it does mean that it is becoming harder to identify and treat the remaining populations,” says Mr Playle.
“There are still populations in the eastern hill country and north of Masterton, but rooks are cunning birds and move the nesting sites if they feel threatened.
“Any sighting of a rook or rookery is important. It doesn’t matter if you have called us before, we are still very interested to hear from you.”
Typically, breeding rookeries will be located in stands of mature pines or eucalyptus trees. Often they are in close proximity to houses and other farm buildings.
Mr Playle says people should not attempt to control rooks on your property by poisoning or shooting.
“This will cause them to disperse and establish more rookeries. Call Greater Wellington and we will destroy them free of charge.”
Rooks are larger than magpies and are black all over, and can be identified by their call, “KAAH”.
Any sighting of a rook or rookery is important. Greater Wellington will destroy them free of charge.