Rare orange-fronted parakeets released into the wild as coronavirus restrictions ease

Wednesday, 29 April 2020

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage talks about the success of the breeding of kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet. (Video first published July 2019)

Almost 20 of New Zealand's rarest forest bird are being released into the wild after coronavirus restrictions eased to level 3.

The 18 young orange-fronted parakeet/kākāriki karaka, raised in captivity in Christchurch, are being flown to the the Lake Sumner Forest Park in the Canterbury high country on Wednesday.

They will join another 15 that were released in the area in March following a booming breeding season.

Eighteen young orange-fronted parakeet/kākāriki karaka are being released into Canterbury's Lake Sumner Forest Park.

The rare birds have an estimated population of up to 300 and are the rarest of the country's six species of parakeet.

* Best breeding season for decades almost doubles rare orange-fronted parakeet numbers**

The latest release was due to happen several weeks ago but was put on hold due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

A juvenile orange-fronted parakeet/kākaāriki karaka.

It needed to be done urgently to ensure the welfare of the parakeets and to free up space in the aviary at the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust.

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said releasing birds into the wild was 'a vital part of the recovery plan for this critically endangered species'.

'I'm delighted that after record breeding last year, these distinctive rare birds are set to fly free from their bubble into Lake Sumner Forest Park.'

The orange-fronted parakeet/kākāriki karaka is New Zealand's rarest forest bird.

Department of Conservation (DOC) monitoring before the lockdown showed the 15 parakeet released in March had joined up with wild kākāriki, and it was hoped the new group would do the same, she said

Those released on Wednesday will be flown by helicopter, where they will be met by four DOC rangers who shared a bubble. Strict coronavirus protocol was being followed.

The orange-fronted parakeet/kākāriki karaka has an estimated population of up to 300.

The rangers would put them into aviaries on site to get used to their surroundings for a few days releasing them into the wild, which gave the birds a chance to adapt and increased their odds of survival.

They will be monitored by camerasas normal monitoring work was on hold due to the level 3 coronavirus restrictions.

Orange-fronted parakeet are found in the Hawdon and Poulter valleys in Arthur's Pass National Park and the Hurunui South Branch in Lake Sumner Forest Park in Canterbury. There is also a population on Blumine Island in the Marlborough Sounds.

The recent breeding season is being celebrated as the most successful in decades, leading to a significant population growth.

Kākāriki were thought to have been extinct until 25 years ago.