'They're our rangatira': Kāpiti Island's kōkako population topped up after two-decade project pause

Tuesday, 6 July 2021

The release of kōkako during the first translocation of the birds from Pureora Forest to Kāpiti Island in 20 years becomes an emotional occasion for all involved.

As 11 kōkako fly one by one from their wooden boxes faster than you can blink, for some it’s like watching the culmination of days of hard work; for others, it feels like the loss of a relative.

It’s Monday morning, and a small group stands under the manuka canopy at the southern end of Kāpiti, some teary-eyed as they watch the first new North Island kōkako join the community in more than two decades.

The long-awaited translocation was a joint effort between local iwi Ngāti Toa, Te Ati Awa ki Whakarongotai and Ngāti Raukawa, visiting iwi Ngāti Rereahu, Department of Conservation (DOC) staff, and representatives from sponsor Fonterra.

The pōwhiri (welcome ceremony) back at the lodge was presided over by two kākā, who perched on the roof, joined in with the waiata (songs), and soared low over the guests in welcome. At the end of the day, mā ngā manu te take – it’s all about the birds.

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Ian Flux, left, Phil Bradfield, Victoria Maikuku-Koroheke, Polly Rata and Zataliya Rata, 10, with the only two kōkako to be handled on their release.

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Kāpiti Island ranger Lee Barry said the island’s kōkako population had about doubled in the past three to five years, and it was time to introduce some new blood.

The island had been predator free since the removal of rats in 1998, and the kōkako colony was established from 33 ancestors 30 years ago, with only 11 breeding successfully.

A variety of genetics and character traits was needed to minimise the risk of the colony being reduced irreparably by something like disease, so the addition of 11 new birds was “really special”.

The birds travelled miles over land and sea, from Pureora forest to the quiet, southern end of Kāpiti Island.

“I shed a tear when the first birds bounded out of that box,” said Barry.

There were others wiping their eyes when the crates were opened, including members of central North Island iwi Ngāti Rereahu.

For Frances Hughes, it felt a bit like cutting the apron strings. “We do feel very protective.”

“They were here before us – Tane Mahuta, te tai ao – they’re tuakana (older siblings) to us, they are our elders.

“People do refer to them as their tamariki; for us, they’re our rangatira.”

The first translocation in 20 years of kōkako from Pureora to Kāpiti Island. Eleven of the birds were released in the southern end of the island, in Wharekohu Bay.

Although it was a wrench to watch them go, she knew the island was a good home for them, and hoped the kōrero (conversation) between Ngāti Rereahu and Ngāti Toa would be ongoing. “We need to ascertain they're going to be safe, going to be protected, not just for the moment, but forever.”

“It’s both our responsibilities to be looking after them, but now we’ve gifted them over, it’s up to them, and we can look after them together,” she said. “We will do that from afar. They now belong to Ngāti Toa.”

DOC contractor Ian Flux was part of the group that caught the birds in Pureora forest – no easy task.

The North Island kōkako is classified as “‘at risk-recovering’” by DOC, despite dropping to a worryingly low 300 pairs in 1990.

The work began days before, with the group scouting for pairs who responded to playback of their own song.

“If they’re always firing into our song, we look for a clearing in the forest that we can trim up a bit,” said Flux.

At the crack of dawn a handful of catchers fired a length of fishing line up over the canopy with a slingshot, attached a thick cord, and hung a net like a stage curtain through the trees.

Like a mid-forest concert, speakers on either side played birdsong. The unsuspecting stars of the show flew right into the net, and tumbled securely into its folds.

After an overnight road trip covering some 230km, three pairs, four juveniles and one single female were carried into the bush and released into their new home.

Birds from different regions spoke a different dialect, Flux said, so it was likely to be the offspring of the new releases which would successfully attract a mate from the island.

Up to 35 kōkako will be introduced to the island over the next two years, with the next batch coming from Pureora again next week and another 15 from a different location in the coming months.

The mahi was started over two decades ago, but put on hold due to a lack of funding. This translocation was made possible through a new partnership between DOC and Fonterra.

Fonterra would contribute up to $50,000 each year of the five-year partnership. Managing director Brett Henshaw said: “Fonterra’s Kāpiti brand has a strong connection with the region, so we are delighted to be playing a role.”

Although the national kōkako population recently reached a milestone of 2000 pairs in the wild, and is classified as “recovering”, predators remain a significant threat.

The island provides a national insurance population for North Island kōkako should anything happen on the mainland.