Precarious perch for Masterton falcons

TREE THREAT: Two New Zealand falcons, or karearea, have been scouting around in Queen Elizabeth Park. PHOTO/FILE

A pair of rare falcons living in Masterton's Queen Elizabeth Park could be forced out because of plans to fell two dying redwood trees.

The birds have been scouting from one of the redwoods scheduled to be cut down.

Whether the birds will be affected if their scouting tree is cut down is still not known but it is believed the pair have been using the redwood trees for more than one nesting season and have succeeded in raising chicks there.

The native falcon, also known as the karearea, which appears on the New Zealand $20 note, is capable of catching prey larger than itself.

Bird enthusiast David Trass, 72, from Masterton, said he "wasn't surprised" to hear about the falcons living in the pioneer cemetery tree.

Mr Trass said he had seen one of the "amazing" birds in Eketahuna in the past.

He saw something in a tree and wondered what it was.

"All of a sudden it flew off, and all of the sparrows took off. They were petrified. It was just amazing."

He said the birds are extremely fast, flying "at 100km at least".

Mr Trass said the falcons were "reasonably common out on the farm when I was a kid".