Rare birds released on island

ALASTAIR PAULIN

Last updated 13:06 08/09/2014

Twenty-eight South Island saddlebacks (tieke) - among the world's rarest birds - have been released onto Adele Island in Abel Tasman National Park.

The saddleback came close to extinction in the 1960s and today there are about 650, all on island sanctuaries. The bird belongs to an ancient group that includes the endangered kokako and the extinct huia.

The release marked a major milestone for the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust, which has been working with the Department of Conservation (DOC) to make the island a predator-free sanctuary since the trust's formation in 2007.

In 2009 South Island robins were introduced onto the island and they have been thriving, with some migrating to adjacent Fisherman's Island.

Before the 50 guests at Friday's release set foot onto the island, DOC's Martin Rodd asked everyone on board the Abel Tasman Sea Shuttle boat Crusader to be quiet so they could hear the songs of the birds on the islands. He said the saddlebacks would be adding their song to the chorus.

The birds had been captured over the last four days from a population of about 300 on Motuara Island in the Marlborough Sounds by a team of six. They used mist nets and recorded birdsong to trap the birds, who were then flown to Adele Island by helicopter.

When their boxes were opened, the birds - which resemble tui with a distinctive orange "saddle" on their backs - immediately flew into the bush canopy and their piercing call could soon be heard.

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Native birds introduced to Rotoroa Island

12:17 PM Tuesday May 13, 2014

Forty tieke (saddleback) and 40 popokotea (whitehead) are being flown from Hauturu o Toi (Little Barrier) to Rotoroa Island today - the first wildlife species to be introduced to this unique new wildlife reserve in the making.

The relocations follow extensive planting, monitoring and pest eradication on Rotoroa, and mark the start of an ambitious 25-year plan by Auckland Zoo and the Rotoroa Island Trust (RIT) that includes introducing up to 20 new species by 2018.

Kiwi, Duvaucel's gecko and moko skink are among other wildlife planned for release later this year.

"Together with our RIT partners, we're taking a very new approach to creating a wildlife reserve. We're aiming to help secure New Zealand's unique biodiversity in a way that's a deliberate departure from what's been done before," says Auckland Zoo director, Jonathan Wilcken.

"We will be introducing species at a greatly accelerated rate and including wildlife that wouldn't necessarily have been found on Rotoroa Island before. In doing so, we aim to create a diverse and novel ecosystem, and one which will allow us to showcase the sort of interventionist approach to conserving wildlife that New Zealand is increasingly becoming known for around the world.

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