Toutouwai chicks on Moehau

Date:  11 February 2010

It’s been only 10 months since the release of toutouwai (North island robin) in the northern Coromandel, but this week confirmation came in that the birds are breeding.

‘It’s brilliant – this is what it’s all about’ said an excited Lettecia Williams, chairperson of the Moehau Environment Group (MEG), who partnered with the local community, iwi and the Department of Conservation in releasing 60 adult birds last year.
 
‘It’s what we set out to achieve – establishment of a breeding population here on Moehau’ said Lettecia. The birds have been monitored since the release and DOC staff working in the area recently captured proof of the successful transfer when they managed to photograph the fledgling birds near one of the release sites. Nine separate sightings of two fledglings have been verified.

‘This is great news, and well done to the local community, MEG, iwi and my own staff who for years did all the hard work in predator control getting the sites ready. It’s looking like a very successful operation.’ said Andrew Baucke, DOC’s Acting Area Manager for Hauraki.

Sixty adult birds were transferred from Pureora Forest Park near Taupo in April 2009 and released at two sites near Stony Bay, one on private land and one on public conservation land. After almost a year of monitoring involving DOC staff and volunteers, the birds have concentrated themselves on the public conservation land site.

‘We know that the breeding pairs are made up of a mixture of birds from each site as each bird was individually banded – it looks like they’ve sorted themselves into pairs and we’re seeing the result. Releasing the birds was a milestone in the project, but this is even better’ said Lettecia.

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