Park to see first robins since 1905
The sound of native robins will be heard in Egmont National Park later this year for the first time in more than a century.
Come April, between 40 and 60 native robin - toutouwai - will be relocated from their current home in Pureroa Forest Park, in the Waikato, to a small 1600 hectare area of the park.
Robin will be first introduced to a trial area which has received extra doses of bait, as well as the pest-poison 1080, in an effort to completely remove all predators from the area.
Department of Conservation biodiversity ranger Emily King said the last time a robin was recorded in the park was back in the year 1905.
‘‘It’s extremely exciting to be in a position to return this charismatic bird to the national park,’’ she said.
‘‘Robin are curious and they will be translocated to an easilyaccessible area on the lower eastern flanks of the Mounga so the public will have every chance of seeing them when they visit,’’ she added.
The ZIP - Zero Invasive Predator - trial area was penned as the re-introduction area because of the vulnerability of the sparrow-sized birds.
They nest on the ground or in small cracks and niches which make them extremely vulnerable to forest predators, particularly rats.
Depending on how the relocations go, a further 40 robin could be released into the same area next year.
It’s not just the robin population that Taranaki Mounga - a collection of organisations including DOC and NEXT - is working to bolster.
Whio and kiwi populations are also in its sights.
The park is currently home to around 67 kiwi and 86 whio - native blue ducks.
- Jeremy Wilkinson