A massive gulp of welcome swallows regularly visiting Timaru’s CBD and leaving behind a trail of destruction are anything but welcome, businesses in the area say.
In scenes reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, the large group of swallows is ruffling feathers, arriving in the areas behind Stafford St, and next to the Royal Arcade buildings at dusk, hunkering on roofs, eaves, and any other nook or cranny they can find, defecating, and then leaving before the morning breaks.
And while their departure leaves behind a trail of unsightly excrement, the Timaru District Council is not able to bring in the big guns like it did when pigeon poo in the Royal Arcade upset businesses and pedestrians, as the new preferred spot for the swallows is on private land.
Businesses in the area noticed the birds starting to arrive about two months ago.
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They arrive just as the sun is starting to go down, swooping through the sky from all directions, before settling in for the night.
They are loud, and do not appear to be afraid of humans, and anyone walking in the area is required to keep a vigilant eye out for any faecal drops.
AIMAN AMERUL MUNER/Stuff
Welcome swallows line up in Timaru’s CBD, and create mess down the side of the building.
Stuff sent images of the birds to the Department of Conservation and Timaru-based NZ Raptor Trust’s Ron Lindsay, and both identified them as welcome swallows.
“They generally like to nest in buildings,’’ Lindsay said.
The birds, also known as warou, were native to New Zealand, and were described by NZ Birds Online as small and fast-flying, and found in open country, particularly around lakes, coasts, riverbeds and ponds.
They were named welcome swallows because they appeared in southern Australia as a herald of spring.
However, in Timaru they have heralded cleaners, as businesses deal with the aftermath of their nightly visits.
The Boiler House, a bar in the Royal Arcade, backed onto the private land.
AIMAN AMERUL MUNER/Stuff
The birds find ledges, roofs and eaves to settle on in the area.
Co-owner Carlos Field said the bird excrement had been noticed.
On Friday he said he was about to clean poo off fencing around the building.
Further along the arcade, restaurant Rasa Asia’s Jemima Kartolo said the birds had “left a mess’’ at the back of their building.
“It doesn’t look very nice,’’ she said.
The problem started a couple of months ago and the business’ cleaner had been cleaning the building’s windows.
“We can’t reach the high parts of the building though.
AIMAN AMERUL MUNER/Stuff
Mess left behind by the birds.
“We’ve been taking photos of the birds. They all line up and just sit there, and they’re everywhere.’’
She said it was the first year they had noticed the birds, and their mess, since opening in 2019.
“But they’re literally always there when no-one else is there.’’
Fellow arcade business Cocoon Hair Design had also noticed the mess.
Owner Felicity Bruce said while staff were not in the direct line of fire of the birds, they were “definitely mindful of walking to our cars at dusk’’.
A Timaru District Council spokesperson said the council had not received any bird-related complaints in the past six months.
Any clean up work, or action, would be required by the private owners of the buildings in the area, he said.
AIMAN AMERUL MUNER/Stuff
The birds begin to make their way to Timaru’s CBD this week.
