Taking the birdsong beyond Wellington

The 500th kākā to be banded at Zealandia will receive its 2013 blue leg band on Wednesday 20th of November. This milestone is reached just 11 years after the founding population of 6 captive-reared birds were released in the sanctuary.

Just preceeding the 500th banding tomorrow was the transfer today of the first 2 of 10 kākā nestlings. This is also a significant milestone for Zealandia, being the first active transfer of kākā from the sanctuary in support of another restoration programme. The nestlings are bound for Pukaha-Mount Bruce, where they will be hand reared until they are able to feed themselves. Then they will be taken to Boundary Stream, a Department of Conservation project in the Hawkes Bay, where they will spend time acclimatising in an aviary and, all going well, then be released before March 2014 to allow them to get familiar with the local environment before winter sets in.

Raewyn Empson, Conservation Manager at Zealandia explains that “Kākā are a threatened species but we have shown that they will thrive in a safe environment, even in our capital city. It is very satisfying for our population to have reached the size where it can be sustainably cropped to help the national recovery of kākā by transfer to another restoration project.”

Kākā chicks usually leave the nest at 60-70 days old, but they remain dependent on their parents for food, becoming independent about 2-3 months later. The nestlings at c 39-40 days old will be taken from different nests where there are at least 4 chicks, so that at least 3 remain to fledge naturally in the valley. All going well, another 3 chicks will follow next week. The first clutches to be “cropped” are from long established pairs, one pair nesting successfully every year since 2004, the second pair nesting successfully every year since 2007, so they come from good parents.

At the receiving end of the transfer, Chris Lester, Conservation Partnerships Manager, Kaimanatu Kahui Manutaki at the Department of Conservation adds that "Staff at the Pukaha Mount Bruce Captive Breeding facility are pleased to apply their experience with the Kākā Recovery Programme to the rearing of these kākā chicks from Zealandia. This project is testament to how Zealandia, Maungaharuru Boundary Stream and Pukaha Mount Bruce are working closely to ensure the species recovery programme succeeds. Kākā are well served by numerous conservation projects throughout the Lower North Island including programmes at these three establishments and Cape Sanctuary (Hawke's Bay) and Project Kākā in the Tararua Ranges".

ENDS

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