A rare New Zealand bird is making a return to Cape Sanctuary next week when 120 saddlebacks, or tieke, are brought to the area.
Transfers to mainland sites that are not entirely ring-fenced are rare but sanctuary manager Tamsin Ward-Smith said Cape Sanctuary would provide ample suitable habitat, with consistently low pest levels, on a large enough scale to re-establish a viable saddleback population.
"I am so looking forward to hearing their cheeky calls.," Ms Ward-Smith said. "When you get the opportunity to visit offshore islands like Cuvier and hear the bird song it makes you realise what is missing from the mainland, and how fantastic it will be to have them adding to the chorus out at the Cape Sanctuary."
The birds would be moved from Cuvier Island, off the Coromandel Peninsula, which had about 800 pairs.
Tail-mounted radio transmitters weighing less than two grams would track 20 of the birds to monitor their movements and survival for their first three months in the sanctuary.
Rare bird returns to Cape Sanctuary
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