Martin Curtis

Yellow and Blue

The saving of the Chatham Island black robin almost single-handedly by Don Merton is probably one of the greatest success stories in world conservation. Old Blue (named after her leg band colour) and her mate Yellow were the last breeding pair of their species. They are literally the Adam and Eve of their race. Numbers are now back to several hundred birds spread over three of the small islands of the Chathams, with surprisingly no sign of in-breeding.

Martin was so inspired by the story that he felt compelled to share it in a song "Yellow and Blue". The song was a favourite in Martin's setlist for his "Let's Sing a Kiwi Song" schools programme, which he toured around New Zealand schools for a numbers of years.

A short sample of Yellow and Blue (MP3 format) can be heard here 

Yellow and Blue can be found on the following albums: The Sound of the Warning, Live at Greendale, Save the Wilderness