Story: Introduced animal pests

Rat attacking a nest

Rat attacking a nest

It had long been suspected that ship rats raided nests and took eggs, but it was harrowing to see David Mudge’s photographs, taken in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which showed the rats eating live fantail chicks. Adult fantails staying at the nest to protect their chicks also ran the risk of being eaten.

Photograph courtesy of the Department of Conservation.

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Photograph by David Mudge

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How to cite this page:

Bob Brockie, 'Introduced animal pests - Rats and mice', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/10122/rat-attacking-a-nest (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Bob Brockie, published 24 Sep 2007, updated 1 Jul 2015