Juvenile kakariki recorded
Far North conservationists say they feel like ‘‘proud parents’’ after ka¯ ka¯ riki they released in the Bay of Islands have produced offspring.
In June 2017, 40 adult ka¯ ka¯ riki were translocated from Hauturu (Little Barrier Island) to Moturua Island, which is part of Ipipiri, a pest free wildlife sanctuary in the eastern Bay of Islands. In what is thought to be a first for a ka¯ ka¯ riki reintroduction, video cameras have recorded a number of juvenile birds born in late January and early February. The birds are the first wild-raised ka¯ ka¯ riki chicks in the Bay of Islands in as many as 50 years or more.
‘‘There could not be prouder parents than the Project Island Song partnership, all our sponsors, donors and hardworking volunteers.’’
Project Island Song is a partnership between the Guardians of the Bay of Islands, Rawhiti hapu¯ Nga¯ti Kuta and Patukeha, the Department of Conservation and the volunteer monitoring team.
Ka¯ ka¯ riki usually nest between October to December, with the female incubating between five to nine eggs for about three weeks.
The video footage was possible through another first for Project Island Song, using millet seed feeding stations and placing cameras at these locations. It has confirmed 35 of the original ka¯ ka¯ riki are still on the island.
The millet feeders were used to try to anchor the birds on the island while they established a population, Robbins says.
‘‘There could not be prouder parents than the Project Island Song partnership...’’
Richard Robbins