Conservation projects
Stoat
Animal pests
The Department of Conservation is carrying out extensive stoat trapping and rat control programmes in the Routeburn Valley funded through DOC’s Operation Ark . This is part of a wider programme in the upper Wakatipu Valleys.
Stoats were introduced to New Zealand in the 1880s to control the explosion of introduced rabbits. Prior to this time, New Zealand’s native birds and bats (bats are the only mammal native to NZ) had enjoyed an environment free of predatory mammals. The introduction of stoats has seen a steady decline of our bird species. Today the stoat, along with the ship rat, are considered a great threat and have already led to the extinction of some species.
The stoat control programme began in the Routeburn Valley in 2000 to protect mohua/yellowhead and whio/ blue duck. Stoat traps are placed at approximately 200m intervals along the length of the track and up some side valleys. Rat control is on a 100m x 100m grid and uses bait in tunnels only rodents can access. As stoat and rat numbers have declined as a result of control measures other bird life has also benefited in the valley with increases in the numbers of kākā, bats and parakeets to name a few.
Mohua
Mohua/yellowhead fledgling, Fiordland
National Park
The endangered mohua (yellowhead/bush canary) is slightly larger than a sparrow. It has a bright yellow head, neck and breast, with the rest of the body being brownish yellow.
It is a tall-forest specialist, with strong legs and a bill adapted to foraging for insects in the crevices of bark of mature trees. Mohua’s use of small tree holes for nesting and roosting make it more vulnerable to predation than other birds, as there are no avenues of escape when a rat or stoat puts it head in the entrance of its nest.
Mohua are only found in the South Island of New Zealand. They can often be seen feeding in noisy groups with brown creepers and parakeets on the fan behind the Routeburn Flats Hut or in the canopy in the first three kilometres of the Routeburn Track.
Whio
The whio (torrent/blue duck) is a unique and endangered species. It is endemic to New Zealand and has no close relative anywhere in the world.
It is blue-grey in colour with a reddish-brown spotted breast, a pale pink bill and yellow eyes and weighs about 800 - 1100 grams.
Living in fast flowing streams and rivers, whio are often seen standing on rocks or feeding on fresh water invertebrates. Whio remain in territorial pairs all year. The female call is a low rattling growl, while the male call of “fee-o” gives the duck its Maori name.
On the Routeburn Track, lone whio can sometimes be seen at Routeburn Flats or on the tarns north of the Harris Saddle.
The Department of Conservation gratefully acknowledges the support of local tourism company, Real Journeys, with the Whio Recovery Programme in Fiordland.
back to top