Native Birdsong of New Zealand is a CD of recordings of New Zealand native birdsong, in stereo without commentary or music.

The CD tracks progress through a "day" in the forests of New Zealand, beginning with the dawn chorus, and finishing with night sounds.

These songs are of New Zealand's once common native birds, which have become severely marginalised on mainland New Zealand.

This is due to habitat destruction and fragmentation, and the ravages of introduced pests and predators such as rats and stoats, cats and dogs, wasps and opossums, weasels, and some introduced birds.

These recordings were made to capture the New Zealand birdsong, which once enriched the forests of the North and South Islands.

Such fullness of birdsong now exists almost entirely on remote sanctuary Islands off the coast, and in the fenced and predator- free areas of forest on the North and South Island where native birds can live and breed in safety.

This CD will enhance the listener's imagination of the Old Forests of the Mainland and the wonderful birdsong there-in.

NATIVE BIRDSONG
A DAY IN THE NEW ZEALAND BUSH

DEEP FOREST DAWN: Dawn breaks with the rare melody of the Kokako. Bellbirds are softly piping, and Tui join in with the beauty of their early morning calls. Kaka chirrup and screech, and the Brown Creeper chants, as the dawn graduates into day. 14.56

FUCHSIA MORNING: The mesmerizing clicks, growls, squeaks, knocks, whistles, pipes and raspberries, of a flock of Tui as they feast on flowering native fuchsia trees. 19.04

ISLAND AFTERNOON: Where the forest meets the sea on a remote sanctuary island, the trees are alive with Bellbirds. Little Kakariki parakeets chatter in the background, & Kaka, the large forest parrots, screech overhead, Weka call and answer as the tide slowly recedes. 08.30

TOWARDS DUSK: More incredible Tui repertoire, as they begin to roost in the early evening. 10.25

NIGHT SOUNDS: A Greater Spotted Kiwi shrills, then the "pump handle" shriek of a Weka, while a Morepork owl cries into the night. 01.58