Twenty kōkako from an Auckland recovery project have new homes on Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.
Project Lead Miranda Bennett, left and Janelle Ward at the release. Photo: Tania Wilkinson
It marks the first time the Hunua Ranges population will contribute birds to another recovery project.
Once teetering on the brink of local extinction, the Hunua kōkako have made an extraordinary recovery thanks to over 30 years of commitment from mana whenua, dedicated volunteers, Auckland council, and the Department of Conservation.
From a low point of just a single breeding pair and 23 individuals in 1994, the population now numbers an estimated 259 breeding pairs as of the 2022 census.
Auckland council’s project lead said the story was one of resilience, community and hope.
“Other projects once gifted us birds to strengthen our population, now we have the privilege of paying that generosity forward.
“It’s a full-circle moment that fills us with pride and gratitude,” said Bennett.
Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Tamaoho, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Tamatera and Ngāti Whanaunga supported the two-week translocation.
A skilled team of Auckland council staff, volunteers, and contractors, led by certified kōkako bander Dave Bryden, netted adult birds, health-checked and banded them.
The native birds were then transported in specially designed boxes for the two-and-a-half-hour journey to Maungatautari where Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Ngāti Hauā, Raukawa and Waikato iwi welcomed them.
One of the kōkako released into Maungatautari. Photo: Tania Wilkinson
