Whio taken to new home
Four whio were released in Abel Tasman National Park for the first time last week in a bid to establish the threatened birds there.
The ducks, which feature on the New Zealand $10 note, were released on September 19.
Project Janszoon ornithologist Ron Moorhouse said the birds were ‘‘unique and iconic’’ to New Zealand rivers. ‘‘If these four birds stay in the park we will release more so, over time, whio will once again be an integral part of the park’s ecosystem and be regularly seen by the park’s many visitors,’’ he said.
The birds were bred at Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust’s Peacock Springs captive breeding facility. They were taken to Wainui hut from Nelson by helicopter under the care of Manawhenua ki Mohua representative Archdeacon Harvey Ruru.
There are an estimated 3000 whio left in the wild, and the species is considered at risk of extinction. The whio were released into the Wainui River by students from Motupipi Primary School after a powhiri.
Isla Lamason said it was ‘‘cool and exciting’’ to see whio in person for the first time. ‘‘They’re so graceful on the water.’’
Ryan Hartill enjoyed seeing how the birds behaved after they were released.
‘‘I like the way they go across rocks and their personality because some of them like to dive bomb on the others and be really cheeky. They must be pretty excited about being in a new habitat.’’
DOC biodiversity ranger John Henderson said it was common to have a few sightings of whio in the national park but there wasn’t a large population in the area.
He said the park was now stoat-trapped with over 90 per cent coverage.
‘‘Predators have knocked down whio numbers, so by releasing these birds we are kick-starting what we hope will become a healthy whio population in the Abel Tasman. We know there are plenty of invertebrates for them to eat and the stoat trapping network should provide safe habitat for them to thrive,’’ Henderson said.