Takahē leave island for mountain homeland

6 March 2009

Takahē leave island for mountain homeland

Two takahē were yesterday taken from Tiritiri Matangi down to the Murchison Mountains in Fiordland, in a move aimed at increasing the takahē population as a whole.

It’s just the third year that takahē have been transferred from an island sanctuary, with the purpose of being reintroduced to the Murchison Mountains. Here they will help conserve the species, contributing to the wild population in the area where they were originally rediscovered.

DOC island ranger Dave Jenkins said that the two island-bred birds (named Apiata and Pakiki), were being removed to reduce the chances of inbreeding within the small population there.

“By taking these birds off the island we’re freeing up territories for new birds to be added to the island gene pool.”

“A more genetically diverse population on Tiritiri Matangi will be more productive, so that more birds will be available to stock the population in Fiordland.”

The regular cycling of takahē between islands and the mainland to manage the genetic diversity of island populations is seen as crucial to the success of the takahē recovery programme, said Mr Jenkins.

The two takahē – both juveniles – will spend the winter at DOC’s Burwood Captive Rearing Unit near Te Anau. Once the birds have shown that they can adapt to living and feeding in a tussock grassland environment, including getting used to snow, they will be released into the Murchison Mountains.

Since takahē were first introduced to Tiritiri Matangi in 1991, the birds have successfully bred and now number 10. The island sanctuary is one of four – including Maud (in the Marlborough Sounds), Mana and Kapiti islands – used to breed small additional populations of takahē. Together they have added about 60 birds to the overall population.

Tiritiri Matangi, managed in partnership by the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi and DOC, is the only place north of Auckland you can see takahē in the wild.

The flightless takahē, the largest living member of the rail family, was rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains in 1948. DOC’s work to recover the species has been focussed on establishing self-sustaining populations in Fiordland and on predator-free islands. Since the late 1980s DOC has been managing takahē nests to boost chick production. The population in Fiordland is about 93 birds.

The takahē transfer from Tiritiri Matangi to Te Anau has been made possible with the support of Mitre 10 Takahē Rescue sponsorship and Air New Zealand, which are flying the birds to Invercargill.

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