By ANNE BESTON
One of New Zealand's rarest birds is proving adept at doing the wild thing, even after being bred and raised by humans.
Young kaki (black stilt, Himantopus novaezelandiae) are having no trouble forming pairs with wild birds and producing eggs, giving the Department of Conservation hope for the species'
future.
"It's very encouraging because it confirms that captive-reared birds can breed successfully in the wild," said DoC acting kaki programme manager Simon Elkington. "They can form pair bonds and produce fertile eggs, just like wild birds."
Large numbers of captive-reared birds have been released in recent years as DoC continues its battle to help the black stilt back from the brink of extinction.
Once eggs are produced by breeding pairs in the wild, they are immediately removed by the DoC and taken to the Twizel aviary to be hand-reared.
Mr Elkington said this season 79 chicks were successfully raised. At present the adult population of kaki (two years or older) stands at just 39 birds.
nzherald.co.nz/environment
