Kakapo released onto predator-free Coal Island /Te Puka-Hereka in Fiordland. Photo / Jake Osborne
Kakapo released onto predator-free Coal Island /Te Puka-Hereka in Fiordland. Photo / Jake Osborne
Just 30 years ago the kākāpō population numbered only 51 individuals, sparking a recovery programme led by the Department of Conservation.
Today there are 247 kākāpō following a concerted effort, led by the Kākāpō Recovery Programme, to eradicate pests, tackle other threats such as aspergillosis that infected 21 birds andkilled 9 in 2019, and the monitoring and intervention into their breeding habits.
Kākāpō Recovery team rangers Tommy, Petrus and Dani with kākāpō Elwin, Kanawera, Manawanui and Motupohue on Anchor Island before transfer to Coal Island. Photo / A Gentle
The relative success of kākāpō has led to pressures for new and safe areas for the flightless parrot to live.
DoC operations manager for kākāpō Deidre Vercoe says that with a breeding season predicted for 2026, new areas must be found to solve a habitat shortage.
“Coal Island, with its similar habitat and proximity to existing breeding islands, could be our next key site,” Vercoe said. “The Coal Island Trust has done incredible work over the last couple of decades removing predators to turn the island into a haven for many native species.”
Kakapo Recovery team rangers loading the kākāpō ready for transfer from Anchor Island to Coal Island. Photo / A Gentle
The Department of Conservation, Ngāi Tahu and Coal Island Trust moved four male kākāpō at the end of May to the Fiordland site in a bid to investigate whether the 1163ha island could one day support a larger breeding population.
Coal Island Trust chair Ali King says the kākāpō transfer is one of the highlights of the trust’s 20-year focus on reintroducing native birds to the island.
“So many trustees and volunteers have worked tirelessly for the past 20 years to help make this day possible,” King said. “We’re proud to have fostered such a strong partnership with DoC, local iwi and other Fiordland entities.”
View from helicopter between Anchor Island and Coal Island. Photo / A Gentle
Ngāi Tahu representative on the Kākāpō Recovery Group, Tāne Davis, says that a lot of planning and thought from Ngāi Tahu has gone into the decision to introduce kākāpō to Te Puka-Hereka since the whenua was investigated as a potential new habitat in 2017.
Motupohue in transit. Photo / D Vercoe
“This mahi gives us hope that this trial will be successful and will extend the available habitat for kākāpō in future,” Davis said.
Enhancing stoat monitoring and trialling new control techniques is a focus for the island, which has great potential as a future breeding island for kākāpō, but females won’t be introduced at this stage, Vercoe says.
DoC operations manager for kākāpō Deidre Vercoe releases a male kākāpō on Coal Island/Te Puka-Hereka. Photo / Jake Osborne
“Ultimately, we need more predator-free sites to give kākāpō the best chance to thrive,” she said. “In the meantime, with the population increasing each breeding season, we need to investigate other options.”
