ILLYA MCLELLAN/STUFF
Three karearea chicks were set up
in their new home in Martinborough to help with pest control on vineyards, but
also as part of a conservation effort to restore numbers.
In flight the
kārearea resembles a stealth bomber.
And with rapid wing beats and a
top speed of about 389kmh they are wreaking havoc on birds that blight
vineyards in the premier wine producing region of Martinborough.
Three more of the native falcons
have been re-homed at Palliser Estate as part of the area's fighting squadron.
At 28 days old the chicks have
reached adult weight and will will grow adult feathers in the coming weeks.
At just 29-days-old the kārearea
were settled into their new home at Clouston Vineyard on December 11 as
part of a programme that combines pest control with conservation.
Palliser Estate employees have
noticed a significant reduction in thrush, blackbird and finch numbers since
the falcon programme began in 2014. They also scare seasonal birds like
starlings.
Behind the initiative which has
seen 10 birds released over four years are Martinborough resident and former
Palliser Estate employee Jane Lenting, Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre
and Palliser Vineyards.
Just two were lost, one to
predation and one to electrocution.
Lenting had heard of a similar
effort in Marlborough while she was employed at Palliser and suggested they do
the same.
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