Mike
Watson13:49, Feb 10 2019
A
Taranaki native bird sanctuary has made a conservation breakthrough in
recording the calls of one of New Zealand's rarest birds without disturbing
their natural behaviour.
Rotokare Scenic
Reserve Trust (RSRT), with the help of scientists from the
Zoological Society London (ZSL), used remote recorders to
listen in on the bird call of the hihi, or stitchbird.
The
recording method is being touted as a breakthrough for conservation.
Endangered
juvenile hihi from Tiritiri Matangi Island were released in Rotokare Scenic
Reserve in 2017.
Rotokare
Scenic Reserve Trust sanctuary manager Simon Collins said hihi, meaning
'first ray of sunshine', was associated with health in Maori culture.
"Essentially,
they're an age-old indicator of a healthy forest. Not only are they
important to protect but have proved to be a unique and ideal model to
study the effectiveness of this new technique, which has huge
potential for reintroduction programmes for other species," he said.
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