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two kiwi released in honour of the late Don Merton On the 29th of October 2011 two juvenile kiwi, named in honour of the late Don Merton, were released into Otanewainuku. Last reported telemetry placed one of our juvenile kiwi in the North block and one in the South block, about 1 km apart. One of them wandered to near where Maui and Whetu are nesting and made a hurried exit, travelling 500m in a day! |
 Jim Pendergrast and Old Blue |
first kokako chick in 30 years Great news - our first fledgling kokako has been positively identified. We watched it being fed 3 times and being clumsy as it crashed around the trees. We can be sure it is a fledgling as our released birds have bands on both legs and at least one leg is clearly not banded on this individual. There may well be more than one fledgling as the parents hide them well. Thanks everyone, for your support.
Dave Wills |
kokako chick - click to zoom in |
kokako translocation: Rotoehu | Kaharoa We have 10 kokako in Otanewainuku! The two known pairs are calling to each other and we have high hopes that they will nest this season. Funding from WWF (Fund Habitat for Protection Fund) and the Lion Foundation, and weeks of pre-dawn starts by DOC officers Dave Wills, John Heaphy and 54 kokako volunteers. Years of pest control work by Kaharoa Kokako Trust and DOC in Kaharoa and Rotoehu forests have resulted in remarkable increases in kokako numbers in those forests, making it possible for birds to be shared with other parts of New Zealand, so that the haunting and beautiful song of the kokako can once again be a special part of the experience of visiting our native forests. Special protocols were observed in the gifting of the kokako from Kaharoa and Rotoehu and their welcome to Otanewainuku. Ngati Rangiwewehi and Ngati Makino kaumatua accompanied birds from their forests for the releases and they were welcomed by representatives from Tapuika, Waitaha, Ngai Te Ahi and Ngati He, expressing their feelings of pride and paying tribute to the ancient lineage of the kokako. Thanks to all the iwi, volunteers and landowners. See More |
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kokako translocation: Rotoehu | Kaharoa The Trust's major 2010 project to capture kokako from the Rotoehu and Kaharoa forests and re-introduce them into the Otanewainuku forest is underway. At the time of writing – 26/8/10 – 4 birds have been captured. As you might imagine, sophisticated, proven techniques are needed to safely take rare wild birds from their habitat. I was privileged to take part in the operation which at times made me feel that I was on the set of a National Geographic TV programme! Under the expert leadership of Dave Wills, who is a DOC Ranger as well as an OKT Trustee, our small team rose at 4:15am in order to reach the net site well before even the dawn chorus. In one of several pre-prepared bush clearings the mist net was quickly raised to a height of about 15 metres and we settled under hides to await the arrival of kokako. By playing high quality recordings of the calls of 'out of territory' birds, the locals quite quickly made their presence known to check out the interloper. First their distant calls, then the flutter of wings, and then the sight of birds running along branches high in the canopy. What we were waiting for was for a bird to glide high up across the clearing and into the net, where it would get tangled in the very fine mesh. Sure enough, that's what happened and these photos show the capture of our first bird, a female. See More Garry Bones (Secretary) |
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kiwi translocation The Whirinaki Kiwi Project is a collaborative partnership between DOC, Ngati Whare and the Trust. Radio tracking transmitters were carefully fitted to three male kiwi in the Whirinaki Forest. When the male kiwi starts incubating eggs, the transmitter signal changes to emitting a count every 2 minutes. This is how we know how long he has been sitting. At between 50 and 60 days incubation the eggs are removed and taken to Kiwi Encounter in Rotorua. They are incubated and hatch at around 75 days and are raised to a safe weight of around 1kg. At this size they can fight off stoats. Half of the chicks are realeased into Otanwainuku and half into Whirinaki Forest. All parties benefit from this partnership. Our first egg from this Project culminated in Taketake Claw the kiwi chick (photo at right, nicknamed Tiger Claw by the staff at Kiwi Encounter) being released after a moving ceremony at Otanewainuku on the 29 May 2010. Sadly Taketake died this winter, after falling from a cliff. |
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kokako translocation We have put in a number of applications for the funds to return this remarkable song bird to our forest. At this stage we are hopeful of returning 10 pairs of kokako to the forest this year. All offers of support gratefully received. Due to the rapid decline in kokako numbers on the mainland in the mid eighties, the NZ Wildlife Service decided to safeguard the remaining remnant populations by gathering them from places such as Otanewainuku and take them to safer off-shore Islands. Eight kokako were transferred from Otanewainuku to Little Barrier Island (Hauturu). It was thought that there were two pairs left at this time, one in the South block and one in the North block. In 2009 a kokako was heard in the North block, so one may still be there. We have had the approval from the National Kokako Recovery Group to translocate 20 birds. |
 kokako - returning to us Photo courtesy DOC |
