A survey of the native bird fauna of forests in the proposed beech project area of North Westland

Surveys of bird life in forests below about 600m a.s.l. in the West Coast Beech Project Area have shown wide differences from place to place in the abundance of 13 more common native birds. Some variation can be attributed to the range of different types of forest represented in the area. The results are consistent with the diversity of bird habitats in the West Coast Beech Project Area and provide a basis for its representation in a network of conservation areas. The wildlife values of the Area are as much a function of the large expanse of continuous, relatively undisturbed forests as the diversity of habitats itself. Alternative strategies for management of the production forests are examined in relation to the maintenance of this continuity, and recommendations are put forward.