In what's thought to be a first, video recordings have captured the first wild-raised kakariki chicks in the Bay of Islands in about 50 years.
A conservation team called Project Island Song used new technology and a lot of perseverance to produce many hours of groundbreaking footage of young birds not seen in the Bay for more than half a century.
They are the offspring of kakariki, also known as red-crowned parakeets, reintroduced to the Bay of Islands wildlife sanctuary in June last year.
A wide variety of images from strategically placed motion cameras showed the recent fledglings learning from their parents and feeding with their siblings.
"There could not be prouder parents than the Project Island Song partnership, all our sponsors, donors and hardworking volunteers," said project manager Richard Robbins.
This was thought to be the first time video footage has been used to monitor the outcome of a kakariki reintroduction, and was providing hundreds of hours of highly useful research.
It would be important in many ways, confirming the health of the birds, gauging their numbers, but most importantly to better understand the potential genetic viability of the new population as it developed.
The large amount of footage was enabled by another first for the project, using millet-seed feeding stations, set up on the island before the birds arrived.
Though not a natural food source for kakariki, millet set was popular with the birds so it was used to try and encourage the birds to stay on Moturua.
The birds were the first of the project's re-introductions. They are free to move away or even go back to where they came from. However, young parakeets were usually faithful to where they were raised.
Project Island Song was a unique partnership between community group The Guardians of the Bay, Te Rawhitit hapu, Patukeha and Ngati Kuta, and the Department of Conservation.
It was dedicated to restoring ecological balance to the islands, drawing together the energy, talent and cultural values of local people to bring the birdsong back to Ipipiri - note by note.
The video footage was part of extensive post-release monitoring and has helped confirm the success of the operation to date. It revealed 35 of the 40 birds released were still on the island; the other five may also still be there but not using the feeding stations.
Each kakariki has a unique leg band colour combination.
The video monitoring catalogue was being analysed to determine any possible family groups of leg banded parents and unbanded offspring, which in turn may help assess the population growth.
There were several species of kakariki, all endemic to New Zealand. The recorded ones were distinguished by a bright crimson forehead, crown and a streak extending back beyond the eyes.
Kakariki generally nest from October to December, when the female incubates five to nine eggs for nearly three weeks. Both parents help with the feeding.
The male usually regurgitates the food he has consumed and the female passes it on to the chicks. Because this is done on the ground for a period before they can fly, the birds are vulnerable to predators, which makes the predator-pest-free islands in the Bay so valuable and so important.
Kakariki were usually solitary or in pairs, but formed small flocks in autumn and winter.
They made a loud and rapid "ki-ki-ki-ki" sound when in flight.
The reintroduction of kakariki was part of the ecological restoration of the pest-free wildlife sanctuaries of Ipipiri, the eastern Bay of Islands.
"They will be an important addition to the ecosystem, as the way they eat and digest seeds is believed to be required for some native plants to germinate," Robbins said.
"This project is the huge success it is because of the sustained support we get from our partners: The Guardians of The Bay of Islands, hapu Ngati Kuta and Patukeha of Te Rawhiti, and the Department of Conservation; and the volunteer monitoring team," Robbins said.
"Also the generous financial support we received from Explore Group and Forest and Bird, and private donations. And of course, all of our project members and supporters all over the country who are hugely important."