The wild population of the world's rarest wading bird will be getting a boost with the release of 51 New Zealand black stilt today at the Mt Gerald Station in the Mackenzie Basin.
The birds will add to the 60 released into the Tasman Valley earlier this month.
The black stilt, kaki, remains on the verge of extinction, which until now, had fewer than 100 adults in the wild.
Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says the release will significantly boost the wild population.
"DoC works really hard on black stilt recovery, controlling predators in their braided river habitats and hatching and rearing chicks in aviaries before releasing them into the wild," Barry said.
"This programme has helped build numbers in the wild from a low of 23 to more than 106 adult birds today."