A kākāriki karaka is released on Pukenui Anchor Island. Photo: RealNZ
A new wild kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet population is being established on Pukenui/Anchor Island, with 34 of the critically endangered birds being released.
Pukenui/Anchor Island is located in Fiordland's Dusky Sound and is a predator-free island. The released birds were bred and raised in Christchurch, before taking the long journey south.
Department of Conservation kākāriki karaka operations manager Wayne Beggs told Morning Report the birds have been declared extinct in the past.
"In about 1919 they were first declared extinct, and then rediscovered and then lost again. They were rediscovered in the late 1980s and they have been on a bit of a journey since then.
"The big breakthrough for us has been the captive breeding programme developed by the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust which has enabled us to set up new populations."
DOC Kākāriki Ranger Myrene Otis carries the manu to the release site on Pukenui Anchor Island. Photo: RealNZ
The kākāriki karaka is distinct from other kākāriki species, of which there are five in New Zealand, with the kākāriki karaka being the rarest.
The bird is a cavity nester, which makes them highly vulnerable to introduced predators.
According to Beggs, the key thing for increasing the population of the bird is a predator-free environment, which is what makes Anchor Island the perfect place for the new population.
"Anchor [Island] provides a safe haven for them to breed and build up a sizeable population."
There is also a sizeable population of the bird in Nelson, in another predator-free sanctuary.
"Three-years ago we released kākāriki karaka into the Brook Waimārama sanctuary in Nelson. It's about 700 hectares of beech forest and they have done very well there in a pest-free environment. There are about 200-250 birds there currently from a founding population of about 100."
Critically endangered means less than 1000 birds self-sustaining. Currently there are around 400 kākāriki karaka in the wild, and the population on Anchor Island is helping to move the bird off the critically endangered list.
