Rare native parakeet returned to Motuihe Island
Date: 19 May 2008
Source: Department of Conservation, Motuihe Trust and Massey University
Rare kākāriki or red-crowned parakeets have returned to Motuihe Island, just 15 kilometres from downtown Auckland, around 200 years after they were last on the island.
Around 30 kākāriki from Little Barrier Island (Hauturu) will be released on Motuihe this week, marking the next step in efforts to restore the island, led by the Motuihe Trust with the support of the Department of Conservation (DOC). The birds were gifted by Ngati Manuhiri, and received by Ngati Paoa.
Once widespread, kākāriki are now very rare on the mainland, and are only common on islands that are free of introduced predators. Motuihe was declared free of predators in 2005 following a DOC eradication programme.
Kākāriki or red-crowned parakeet
John Laurence, Chair of the Motuihe Trust, said the release of kākāriki was a significant step for Motuihe, and the culmination of many hours of work put in by thousands of volunteers as part of efforts to restore the island with native plants and animals.
"It's great to be reintroducing this beautiful bird to the island, especially as it's so close downtown Auckland and can be enjoyed by so many people who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to see kākāriki in the wild," he said.
DOC Auckland Area Manager, Brett Butland, said the Motuihe Trust were making fantastic progress in restoring the island.
"This is an example of what can be achieved by the community on public conservation land, to the great benefit of everyone in Auckland and further afield," he said.
The kākāriki release is part of a PhD thesis by Massey University student Luis Ortiz-Catedral, who has been studying the health of kākāriki on Little Barrier Island prior to their move to Motuihe. For his project with Massey's Institute of Natural Resources in Auckland, he has been comparing how wild and captive birds cope with relocation.
Since 2004, he has studied the nesting biology and nesting growth of red-crowned kākāriki on Tiritiri Matangi, as well as a small population of orange-fronted kākāriki bred in captivity in the South Island and relocated to remote Maud Island in the Marlborough Sounds.
Kākāriki are the second native species to be reintroduced to Motuihe, following the release of saddlebacks or tieke in 2005. The Trust have been assisted in their restoration efforts through sponsorship by Mobil Oil.
The plan to restore Motuihe (179 hectares) includes replanting large areas, returning native birds, lizards and insects, conserving historic features, enhancing wetland areas and developing tracks and other visitor facilities.
ENDS
Background information:
- Kākāriki are colourful forest birds. There are five main species, including the red-crowned parakeet which is bright green with a bright red forehead, crown and streak extending back beyond the eyes.
- The red-crowned parakeet prefers to inhabit relatively open spaces in and around forest areas, and frequently forages on the ground.
- They feed on berries, seeds, fruit and insects and generally nest in holes in trees, although red-crowned parakeets sometimes nest in crevices on cliffs or among rocks, in burrows in the ground or in densely matted vegetation.
- The main threat to kākāriki are attacks by introduced predators such as stoats, ferrets and rats.