The interaction of native and introduced birds in New Zealand

[First paragraph...]
The purpose of this paper is to outline the factors which are believed to influence the status of native and introduced birds-including their interaction—and as a back- ground it will be necessary to re-examine the history of settlement. Some effects of settlement are obvious: the clearing of forest and the acclimatisation of birds from overseas were major events transforming certain aspects of the environment. Other events, especially the arrival of mammalian predators and probably of avian diseases, did not at first seem unduly important and are still little understood. All these events moved so rapidly that any form of scientific record, if attempted, would have been difficult: and, today, the opportunities for research are restricted to investigations of bird populations that are already modified. The extent of modification, is however, largely unknown.