By ANNE BESTON
A dream that Aucklanders might one day hear kiwi calling in the wild could be a step nearer after a native bird comeback in the Waitakere Ranges.
After five years of possum-trapping over 30,000ha of the ranges almost all bird numbers have risen, but four native species have
done particularly well.
A five-year study carried out since 1998, when the Auckland Regional Council launched its $1.3 million Operation Forestsave, showed tui numbers had increased by more than 50 per cent while the kereru, or wood pigeon, population had more than doubled.
Fantail and tomtit numbers also nearly doubled.
The Forest and Bird Protection Society is determined that one day kiwi, kokako, bellbirds and robins will join them.
"There's no reason why kiwi and others can't do as well as these other species have done," said Forest and Bird Waitakere chairman Dr Peter Maddison.
He admitted it could take as long as 10 years but said a "pulsing" method of predator control - hitting pests hard at the beginning and during the bird breeding season - meant it was feasible.
ARC biosecurity manager Steve Hix agreed, although he was more cautious.
"You have to have dreams and hopes I guess but this is all about getting habitat suitable for them to return to, so you definitely couldn't rule it out."
ARC scientist Dr Tim Lovegrove used the five-minute bird count method in nine different locations for the research. He did 135 separate counts at the beginning of every summer.
At the chosen spots, tui numbers increased from 78 to 118, kereru from 27 to 68, fantails from 79 to 134 and tomtits from 29 to 48. Counts for other birds were not statistically significant, Mr Hix said, although kingfishers increased from 13 to 22.
He said it was impossible to calculate total bird numbers based on the study.
Conservation groups have been working towards intensive pest-free zones in the ranges through the Ark in the Park project but Dr Maddison said Aucklanders had no comparable project to Wellington's Karori Wildlife Sanctuary.
Little spotted kiwi were introduced into the sanctuary last year.
nzherald.co.nz/environment
