Friends of Flora - Return of the Kiwi Project

Great Spotted Kiwi Roroa

Now we have started the blue duck back on the road to recovery, our focus has turned to another, just as important bird – the great spotted kiwi/roroa – Apteryx haastii.

This bird, the largest of New Zealand’s kiwi, has all but gone from the Flora area, with just the odd bird heard in the wider catchment over the past 30 years. To this end FoF and DOC are looking to re-establish a viable breeding population of these birds, starting with the first translocation in the first quarter of 2010.

Stoats are the main predator of the Great Spotted Kiwi, so our initial focus for kiwi re-establishment was to prove that stoat numbers were low enough for the survival of young kiwi. The best method to do this is by Footprint Tracking Tunnels (FTT’s). After two years of FTT checking, we have been very pleased to find we are tracking a very low number of stoats (- <0.5%) in the Flora . This is one of the lowest in the country.

We have carried out a survey within the Kahurangi National Park and have found an area within the northern sector of the park from which we can remove 14 birds (7 pair) without harming the local population. We have been given the go ahead by both the Kiwi Recovery Group and local Iwi (Maori) for this project.

We now need to raise funds amounting to almost $100,000 over the next three years. These funds will be used for special dog teams and helicopters to find and translocate the 7 pair of kiwi. The kiwi will then be fitted with radio transmitters and we will use aerial telemetry gear to track and monitor them. This will allow us to study how they adapt to their new home and whether they develop into a viable breeding population.

Tel: 03 528 9054 | Friends of Flora, PO Box 317 Motueka | fof@fof.org.nz