For two years, Nigel’s only friends on his home island were 80 concrete ospreys. Just before Christmas last year, Nigel finally had three real friends, but just about three weeks later, the bird was found dead.
Ospreys actually used to nest on small Mana Island, just off the southwest coast of New Zealand’s North Island, until pests forced them to leave. So, in 1997, after the rats were eradicated, a decoy colony was set up.
Not only does it include fake birds painted to look like real birds from above, but also solar-powered loudspeakers that will emit the noisy sound of a flock of birds, and even Fake bird droppings, smeared all over the statues to make them look as realistic as possible.
After 20 years, the efforts finally paid off. An osprey landed in the flock, the first bird in half a century. Unfortunately, the bird came here alone so the volunteers named him “friendless” Nigel. The name has been associated with this bird ever since.
Attracted by the flock of fake ospreys, Nigel decided to stay. He took particular notice of one statue and built a nest of seaweed and wigwam next to the statue in an attempt to pursue it. But Nigel’s flirting with the bird statue didn’t stop there, because poor Nigel also sat preening the statue’s feathers and trying to monologue.
“I think it must be a frustrating thing,” said Chris Bell, a NZ Conservation Service ranger who lives alone on Mana Island. Whether Nigel was lonely or not, he certainly never got anything in return, and it must have been a very strange experience, one that he had spent years pursuing. I think we all sympathize with him, because his situation is quite hopeless.”
After a year or two, another osprey flying by decided to stop by, and lonely Nigel had a new friend, Norman. Even though the population has doubled, it seems that breeding is still impossible. Until the fake birds were given new paint, making them look more realistic, changing the sound of the birds’ calls, and moving the loudspeaker higher up the hill.
In December 2017, a few more ospreys came to befriend Nigel. Unfortunately, their time together was short-lived, and not only did Nigel fail to make any new friends, he was also found dead in the nest, in addition to his unrequited love. surrounded by concrete friends.
Nigel’s death devastated the conservationists working on Mana Island, no less so than the newly arrived birds. “It didn’t show any signs like it was about to die,” Iaments Bell said. It would be better if it could try for a few more years and find a mate and have children.”
