Kaka flown in to boost Abel Tasman population

Thursday, 1 October 2015

One of the four kaka transferred to a Golden Bay aviary on Wednesday in preparation for their release into Abel Tasman National Park.

Four female kaka destined for release in Abel Tasman National Park will spend the next month in a park aviary, hopefully calling in their wild suitors.

The birds were welcomed into Golden Bay by iwi in a moving powhiri at Onetahua Marae on Wednesday afternoon after a day-long journey by road and air from the Department of Conservation's Te Anau Wildlife sanctuary.

They are the first of a number of planned releases of kaka in the park as part of the work by DOC and environmental trust Project Janszoon.

Project Janszoon aviculturist Rosemary Vander Lee said the birds would remain at a purpose-built aviary at Wainui Hut, in the park's upper reaches, to become familiar with the sights and sounds of their new surroundings and, hopefully, call in male members of the park's remnant kaka population.

DOC had recommended this and another possible kaka transfer later this summer be made up of female birds in order to capture the genetics of the park's existing population before it was too late, she said.

The project's wildlife recovery manager, Peter Gaze, said the transfer had been 2 and a half years in the planning and would be followed by more in subsequent years. The transferred kaka came from existing captive populations and have been raised in Te Anau, Dunedin and Invercargill.

``We intend to keep releasing kaka in the park for a number of years and would like to get stock from the wild in the northern South Island.'

Kaka in Nelson Lakes National Park were currently being tracked to later locate nests with fledglings and eggs, he said.

``We know there were large flocks of kaka in the park, especially when the rata was flowering. We have got onto the possums and the rata is coming back.'

Gaze said stoats were the main enemy of kaka and the prioject would continue with its intensive trapping regime t counter the risk.

The transferred birds would be released in about a month.

Ngai Tahu representative Bubba Thompson, who accompanied the birds on their journey, said it was important for Ngai Tahu to be able to meet eye to eye those who receiving these taonga.

In accepting guardianship of the birds, the three Iwi Ngati Tama, Ngati Rarua and Te Atiawa said the manu (birds) were returning home.

'Blessing the kaka at Onetahua Marae means they are now attached to the whanau, hapu and the iwi of the area.

Kaka have been in the Abel Tasman in great numbers before, we are receiving the birds and acknowledging that they have come home and we will look after them,' said Margie Little, the Ngati Tama representative for Manawhenua ki Mohua.

Pest control undertaken by Project Janszoon meant the relocated birds would have a good chance of reestablishing a healthy kaka population in the park.