Whitehead success as rare birds spotted outside Shakespear sanctuary

Thursday, 17 August 2017

Native whitehead (popokatea) have been seen checking out the Whangaparaoa peninsula

Chattering little whiteheads could soon be nesting in gardens on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. The gregarious little birds have been successfully breeding behind the predator fence at the Shakespear Open Sanctuary since 40 were released two years ago.

With four spotted some distance from the park in the clifftop reserve on Island View Drive, above Okoromai Bay, a few days ago it may not be long before they start to breed outside.

'There is good vegetation along the clifftop reserve and in people's gardens so it's quite possible this family group of whiteheads will nest in the area, especially as nesting may begin as soon as early September,' Forest and Bird Pest Free Peninsula Project Manager Pauline Smith said.

With perfect timing the Hibiscus Coast branch of Forest and Bird recently put a trap line into this area.

'With rat control in the reserve, whiteheads have a good chance of breeding successfully – they spend much of their time in the tree canopy so are relatively safe from other predators. We may even see them appearing in our annual bird survey in November,' she said.

*Safe haven at Shakespear Open Sanctuary for spotted kiwi

*Whitehead birds return to West Auckland**

For chairman of the Shakespear Open Sanctuary Peter Jackson, the sightings are very rewarding after the hard work by volunteers that went into fundraising and organising the whitehead release and shows the sanctuary is working as it should be.

'We're hopeful this will be a success-breeds-success story, and will encourage more people to take up Forest and Birds pest eradication programme along the peninsula,' he said.

'Especially as Robins are also likely to be seen out side soon but as they are often on the ground they are much more susceptible to rats, stoats and cats.'

Once common around the north island, whiteheads have been hit hard by introduced pests. In the Auckland area they are now restricted to Hauturu/Little Barrier Island, Tiritiri Matangi Island, Motuora Island, Tawharanui Open Sanctuary and Shakespear Open Sanctuary in the Auckland area and in Ark in the Park in the Waitakere ranges.

Smith started the operation Paint the Peninsula Purple six years ago with trap lines and bait stations now installed on many willing property owners land, school grounds, council reserves and streams in an effort to eradicate pest like rats, possums and stoats along the peninsula and make a safe bird corridor from Tiritiri Matangi all the way to the Waitakere Ranges. To be fully effective they need around a third of all property owners to join in.

GPS co-ordinates of each trap or bait station are entered in to the CatchIT database, maintained by Auckland University with details of catches or kills also noted.

More info: Pauline Smith paulinesmith@xtra.co.nz