Signs the elusive tūī may slowly be returning to Canterbury

Friday, 19 June 2020

While tui are a common sight in other parts of New Zealand, they had largely disappeared from lowland areas of Canterbury.

Sightings of the elusive tūī in Canterbury may be on the rise, with the population of the native bird growing faster in the region than any garden bird counted in New Zealand in a decade.

According to the State of New Zealand Garden Birds 2019 survey, the country's longest-running citizen science project, overall numbers of the boisterous bird were still “very low”, but sightings seemed to be increasing.

The latest results, from 2019, showed increases in fantail, kererū, tūī, and possibly bellbirds.

George Hobson, 16, pictured last year, said 2020 would mark his fourth time entering data into the New Zealand Garden Birds survey.

Environmentalist George Hobson, 16, said the growth was “encouraging”, but things weren't looking so positive for some introduced species, including thrush, goldfinch, starling and dunnock.

* More native birds in our gardens, but decline in introduced species

* Bird of the Year campaigns to ruffle feathers as competition gets strategic

* Halo project sees 25 fold increase in tūī numbers

George was passionate about ruffling feathers in the world of conservation, and credits being home-schooled to giving him enough spare time to pursue a love for birdlife.

He became a youth ambassador and tour leader for conservation facility Zealandia, in Wellington, when he was aged 10, and worked on projects such as endangered takahē monitoring on Mana Island.

'I think what really started my interest was looking after a friend's cockatiel as a child, then I started researching cockatiels and from there it went to parrots, then to native birds.

George Hobson hoped other young New Zealanders would take an interest in native birdlife.

'Having built that relationship with nature I do feel like it's my duty to do what I can to protect it … the environment is the backbone of everything.'

George, a campaign co-ordinator for Forest and Bird youth, said youth support for environmental projects was growing exponentially, as demonstrated by the overwhelming success of the School Strike 4 Climate Change last year.

A closer look at some of the native birds we've come to know and love.

He hoped more young people would step up to the plate for the New Zealand Garden Birds survey 2020. Since 2007, people across the country have spent an hour in their gardens, local park, or school grounds, counting the numbers of birds they saw.

To take part this year, people choose any day between June 27 and July 5, and record the highest number seen or heard at one time in the hour. Results can be submitted online at the NZ Garden Bird Survey website.

Although numbers of silvereye, one of New Zealand's most common native garden birds, continued to drop, their decline slowed nationally from 38 per cent in the past 10 years to 2 per cent in the past 5 years.

NZ Garden Bird Survey founder Dr Eric Spurr said increases in counts of native birds may reflect the results of increased predator control and habitat restoration activities around the country.

There have been efforts made to re-establish tūī in the wider Christchurch area: in 2009 and 2010, 72 tūī were released at Hinewai Reserve near Akaroa. The population has established and there are now regular sightings in Akaroa and Little River.