Close Menu
Document the Struggle to Safeguard Endangered Birds in New Zealand
Science

Document the Struggle to Safeguard Endangered Birds in New Zealand

Rangers aiming to install stoat traps in the KEA Basin, New Zealand

Robin Hammond/Panos Photos

A massive conservation initiative is being undertaken throughout New Zealand to eliminate invasive species, allowing various native and endangered birds to thrive.

Field specialists at the Capital Kiwi Project inspecting kiwis recently released in the hills around Wellington. Kiwis have not inhabited these hills for generations due to predators introduced primarily by humans, which devastated kiwi populations across New Zealand. On November 19, 2022, 11 kiwis were released into the wild on Wellington's south coast, following the deployment of 23,455 hectares worth of 4,561 traps, a feat resulting from years of effort. This is the first time these tests have been conducted since the release.

Kiwis that live on the ground

Robin Hammond/Panos Photos

The nationwide predator eradication initiative, documented by photographer Robin Hammond, boldly aims to exterminate three invasive species introduced by humans: rats, stoats, and possums. These predators have decimated the populations of ground-nesting birds like kiwis. This ambitious plan includes the controversial aerial application of sodium fluoroacetate poison targeting these mammals (as seen in the main image).

Stephen Cox, 27, a biodiversity ranger with the New Zealand Department of Conservation in the Tongariro area of the central North Island, manages pest species and protects endangered native species, including brown kiwis. Much of Stephen's work revolves around capturing non-native predators. On this day, he releases a young kiwi. The Tongariro Forest Kiwi Sanctuary is adjacent to the Whakapapa and Whanganui Rivers. The Department of Conservation has initiated research to establish the minimum effective application and frequency of 1080 for the survival of brown kiwis in the North Island. This toxic bait targets rats and possums and has been air-dropped throughout Tongariro Forest to increase kiwi chick survival rates. Stoats, the main predator of kiwi chicks, consume 1080 toxins through their prey, rats. Additional ferret traps are utilized to ensure the safety of adult kiwis. According to the Tongariro Forest Kiwi Sanctuary Annual Report 2021/22, without effective management, the kiwi population could face local extinction within 15 to 20 years.

Biodiversity Ranger Steven Cox releases a young kiwi

Robin Hammond/Panos Photos

“It’s conservation through culling,” states Hammond. “It’s a tough choice, yet inaction leads to significant losses in our bird populations.”

Efforts are also focused on ensuring kiwis and other birds are large enough to withstand mammalian predation (as shown above).

Ngai Tahu whanau ki Murikau release of Takahe birds, with local iwi efforts supported at the Burwood Takahe breeding center, set against the backdrop of the spectacular Mackenzie Basin. They join the resident population of 220-240 birds in the Murchison Mountains, which were thought to be extinct until 1948. Following their rediscovery in the Murchison Mountains, only an estimated 200 birds remained. The Burwood Takahe Breeding Centre, established in 1985, has successfully hand-raised and released hundreds of Takahe. Ongoing predation, particularly by stoats, means that without continual breeding and release programs, Takahe face extinction in the wild on mainland New Zealand. The long-term vision of the Burwood Takahe Breeding Centre is to develop a permanent and self-sustaining Takahe population on the mainland.

Staff releasing Takahe birds

Robin Hammond/Panos Photos

In the wild, kiwi eggs have only a 5% chance of maturing into adults. However, adult birds like the non-flying hawk (as shown above and below) have significantly better survival rates.

Conservation staff conduct a final health assessment, attaching transmitters to the backs of hawks before releasing them back into the wild. These ten birds, raised at the Burwood Takahe Breeding Centre, join the existing population of 220-240 birds in the Murchison Mountains, located in Fiordland National Park. Once thought extinct, Takahe were rediscovered in 1948, although fewer than 200 birds were estimated to have survived at that time.

Conducting a final health assessment and attaching transmitters to Takahe birds

Robin Hammond/Panos Photos

A stuffed Auckland Island merganser (Mergus australis). This waterfowl was an adept diver known for chasing fish. It became extinct due to human hunting and predation by species such as Pacific and Norwegian rats, dogs, cats, and pigs. The last known sighting of this bird was on January 9, 1902. Many native animals in New Zealand were lost following human colonization. Over the course of 750 years, New Zealand's vertebrate fauna has been nearly halved, along with countless invertebrate species.

Stuffed Auckland Island merganser (Mergus australis)

Robin Hammond/Panos Photos

Unfortunately, it’s already too late for certain birds, like the Merganser from Auckland Island (illustrated above). After its disappearance in 1902, it has since been confined to museum exhibits. “I’ve witnessed flocks flying around Wellington without even knowing they existed as a child,” states Hammond. “Though, you can now hear their songs, something that was not the case before.”

Topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Share.

Related Posts

Leave A Reply