Whio numbers increase 48 per cent in Kahurangi National Park

Wednesday, 7 June 2017

There are an estimated 3000 whio left in New Zealand.

A native duck at risk of extinction is making a resurgence in Kahurangi National Park.

The number of nationally vulnerable whio, or blue duck, has increased by 48 per cent in a 'security site' in the national park since 1080 operations and intensive trapping started in 2011.

The blue duck is considered a nationally vulnerable species and is at risk of extinction.

The latest survey of the security site, centred on the Wangapeka and Fyfe river catchments, found 43 breeding pairs of whio with several kilometres of waterways still to be surveyed.

That number is up from 29 pairs in 2012/13 when the last dog-assisted survey was done.

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Whio numbers have reached about one pair per kilometre in the security site, which is almost full capacity for the fiercely territorial bird.

Whio, which feature on the $10 note, are highly sensitive to stoat predation.

Monitoring has shown that up to 90 per cent of nests fail, 60 per cent of fledged young are killed and around 50 per cent of adult females can be killed when they are flightless in areas where predators are not controlled.

Their resurgence is attributed to a combination of aerial 1080 operations backed up by intensive trapping.

The whio security site in Kahurangi National Park is one of eight nationally, which aim to ensure whio survive in the wild through DOC's partnership with Genesis Energy in the Whio Forever Project.

The whio security site was first launched in 2003 when one pair of whio was found across 10km of waterway, and the first trap-line was installed.

There are now 1054 traps across 83.4km of waterways at the site.

Local volunteers from Tapawera maintain the front-country trap lines in the Wangapeka catchment, while DOC staff and contractors manage the back-country trap lines.

The aim of the Wangapeka/Fyfe whio security site is to maintain a sustainable population of at least 50 pairs of whio.

Whio were singled out as a seriously threatened species in Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright's latest report, released last month.

Wright said many of our most unique native bird species were in a 'desperate situation' and more must be done to stop their decline.