Southlanders are being urged to be on the lookout after three rook - classified as a pest birds in Murihiku Southland - were reported on farmland between Mossburn and Five Rivers.

Rooks are a large black bird with a purple gloss, are slightly larger than a magpie and have a distinctive repeated “caw” as their call.

They were first introduced to New Zealand from their native Great Britian/Europe in 1862 but are now classified an exclusion pest under the Southland Regional Pest Management Plan, because of the serious damage they can cause to most types of farm crops and the negative impact on soil invertebrate populations (their main food source).

If confirmed, this sighting could be the first time rook have been seen in Southland since 2019 when a rook, thought to be a transient from Otago, was sighted in the Kaiwere/Pekerau area.

Populations did exist up untill the early 2000s in the Balfour, Eastern Bush and the Motu Valley areas but were subsequently wiped out in pest control operations.

Environment Southland (ES) Biosecurity and biodiversity operations manager Ali Meade said the public play a vital role in helping keep rooks out of the province, and people are encouraged to report all potential rook sightings to Environment Southland.

“Rooks are pest birds in Murihiku Southland, and it is essential that sightings of any number are met with a swift response.” 

“We are grateful that a vigilant member of the public reported the sighting of three rooks in northern Southland so that our biosecurity team could take action,” Meade said.

ES asks the public not to attempt to shoot or disturb rooks but instead report sightings immediately, so that a rook control specialist can be called in.

There is no cost to the landowner, she said.

In recent decades, both Environment Southland and the Otago Regional Council have worked together to eradicate the pest bird. 

Sightings of rooks can be reported to Environment Southland by:

• Web: pesthub.es.govt.nz
• Email: mailing [email protected]
• Ph: 0800 76 88 45

CLICK HERE to view a video on rooks.