Date:  23 June 2026

Recent monitoring results showing zero rats in the Hawdon valley in Arthur’s Pass National Park is great news for a small kākāriki karaka/orange fronted parakeet population there.

“Five years ago, there were zero kākāriki karaka there,” says DOC’s Kākāriki Karaka Recovery Programme lead, Wayne Beggs.

“We have brought this population back from nothing. It’s great news for the species and a real success story.”

The critically endangered manu is New Zealand’s smallest and rarest parakeet with around 450-500 left, mainly in predator free sanctuaries like the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary in Nelson, or on islands like Blumine/Ōruawairua in Marlborough and Pukenui/Anchor Island in Fiordland.

Twice declared extinct, then rediscovered, there are two wild populations of kākāriki karaka in Canterbury – in the Hawdon valley near Arthur’s Pass and South Branch of the Hurunui River valley with current estimates of 50 to 60 birds in each valley.

Since an aerial predator control operation in the Hawdon valley last December, the rats have been reduced to undetectable levels. The “nip it in the bud” operation aimed to reduce rat numbers prior to the beech mast or seeding this year avoiding the seed bounty causing rapid population growth.

“It’s worked and we’re stoked. We now have 22 kākāriki karaka nests with no mammalian predation detected. That’s a huge win for this valley,” Wayne says.

A two-person research team monitors the kākāriki nests. This summer they will also use AI tech traps that can identify which predator is approaching and set the right weight trigger to trap it.

“We’re getting better and better at catching things,” he says.

Wayne says there is a huge amount of work carried out to help the rare parakeet but the goal is to lessen this over time, when the population gets to a sustainable level and pests are well managed.

“We are just so happy we are making positive progress along with our partners in the breeding programme. It’s been tough going for this manu so we’re all excited that we seem to be on the upside. Given what’s happened in the past, we take every win,” he says.

Further information

Anyone wanting to donate to the naturing efforts can go to:

Saving the Orange-Fronted Parakeet | Kākāriki karaka | NZ Nature Fund

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