Sightings of a white tūī by excited landowners at Waiotahe have been widely reported in the media this month and the Ōpōtiki News may have tracked down the bird’s origin.
Newspapers across the Bay of Plenty and Waikato and even television news have covered the story after neighbours posted Facebook images of the “rare bird” visiting their gardens.
But it turns out tūī with leucism – the genetic mutation that prevents pigment from being deposited in the feathers – have been seen around the Ōhiwa Harbour for years.
Ōhiwa Headland Sanctuary Trust chairman Andrew Glaser said the presence of the birds locally was considered to be a tohu pai (good sign) for the trust’s conservation programme.
Trust ecologist Mithuna Sothieson said white tūī has been regularly sighted in the area in the past 10 years, although they knew of a bird photographed as early as 2009.
“Our monitoring indicates there are at least three in the area now. So, it appears the genetics of this bird are prominent around Ōhiwa Harbour, and they’re very unique and well protected within our-pest trapping programme.”
She said the positive results from controlling pests and weeds around the harbour were now being seen across multiple native species, not just these tūī.
“Trust members, who care for 1900 hectares of coastal bush, 7km west of Ōpōtiki, regularly get to see hugely encouraging sights in the bush, which some might term ecological miracles.
“Even seabirds like the little blue penguin and grey-faced petrel are making a comeback on this part of the mainland.
“And we have bellbirds again. Prior to the establishment of the trust in 2016, these were rare visitors to the area. Eight years later, we are witnessing the slow repopulation of bellbirds across the Ōhiwa Headland and enjoying their melodic notes in the dawn and dusk chorus,” Sothieson said.
Kereru were also prominent in the area, feeding on small kawaka two at a time, or occasionally in flocks of about 30 on larger trees.
“We’re getting falcon and kaka coming back. We’re starting to see birdlife in the tree space that provides a vision of what New Zealand once was like. It’s pretty spectacular.
“As pest numbers have been reduced, the behaviour of the birds has changed. For example, tūī have been seen feeding on the ground.
“As possum numbers fell because of trapping and thermal nightshooting, the native trees canopy were able to bounce back, providing more food for birdlife.
“Previously, when you looked across the canopy, you noticed those bare grey treetops reaching up to the sky like dead fingers from a grave. It was all you noticed. Now we are seeing significant regeneration in the canopy.
“More seedlings are able to spring up from the forest floor.”
She said the flowers of the native tree species, kohekohe, were an important food source for native species.
“Unfortunately, kohekohe is also a favourite food source for possums, with heavy browsing impacting the growth and reproduction of this species.
“With the drastic reduction in possums from the area, kohekohe are once again able to flower from the trunks and branches of the trees – a phenomenon known as ‘cauliflory’. This is believed to be an adaptation to increase pollination from native species like insects, lizards, bats and nectar feeders like tūī and bellbird.”
People power was credited for these positive changes.
The Ōhiwa Headland Sanctuary Trust was supported by 165 residents and landowners.
It worked in collaboration with the Bryans Beach Area Community Group, Ōhiwa Reserves Care Group, Hurike Care Group, Ruatuna-Pukerura Care Group and had support from Whakatōhea and Te Ūpokorehe.
“We’re winning due to the collective efforts of our amazing community that enables us to achieve these great conservation outcomes,” Sothieson said.
“Without the landowner and community support, the programme wouldn’t be the success it is.
“We have good positive relationships forged around care for the Ōhiwa environment, sausage sizzles and the pests that are getting caught by the community.”
The trust had enjoyed significant support from the Government, DoC, and the regional council.
From 2021 to 2024, the Jobs for Nature Programme had been a game changer, enabling the trust to expand its pest control buffer to encompass an additional 1100 hectares on the eastern side of Ōhiwa Harbour through to SH2.
“Through the employment of two full-time and three part-time contractors, we have been able to reduce the possums to very low levels. We removed 3097 of them from the operational area. Possums were now rarely seen in much of the headland area.
“Although we are not possum-free yet, we have observed some amazing benefits for the natural environment that are rarely seen on mainland New Zealand, including abundant flowering and fruiting.
“Our area is now fully set up with possum and stoat traps to build effective defences by using Waiotahe River as a geographical barrier to stop reinvasion of possums and maintain animal pests at low levels.
“These are very tough economic times, which has resulted in a reduction in funding for many community environmental programmes.”
However, the trust had been incredibly fortunate to partner with others and secure additional resources to maintain the programme’s gains and keep them going, she said.
Communication has also been a key to progress.
“The contractors meet with residents to explain what they are going to be doing on their property. There is a real benefit for landowners from the removal of possums, and they are now getting fruit off their trees which they hadn’t had previously due to the high possum numbers,” Sothieson said.
“The weed control we get for free from the [Bay of Plenty] Regional Council is a big hit with landowners too, because it gets rid of the likes of woolly nightshade and ginger.”
Where once it was silent or close to it, the air is now loaded with birdsong from early morning and into the day.
Kill totals from the 2024-25 year are impressive, with volunteers, landowners and contractors each playing a significant part in the outcome.
The tally is: mice 283; rats 598; hedgehogs 38; possums 242; stoats 9; weasels 44; rabbits 45; hares 4; and feral cats 20.
The tally over the past 10 years is: mice 3209; rats 6397; hedgehogs 499; possums 3993; stoats 44; weasels 133; rabbits 170; feral wild cats 57.
Some pest eradication required highly skilled operators, for example, shooting possums using thermal and night vision scopes on rifles.
“But actually, there’s something for everyone. If you want to be involved, we can find a job that suits you.
“It could be setting traps along the roadside, so no serious hiking ability is required,” Sothieson said.
“The job satisfaction is high as you experience the abundant birdlife and revegetation this pest eradication achieves, and the camaraderie of mixing with other volunteers for a shared purpose is second to none.”
The trust said it was grateful to Lodestone Energy, Trust Horizon, Bay Trust, Lottery and Environment Heritage Fund, Clyde Graham Charitable Trust, Trees that Count Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the Department of Conservation Community Fund for their support for the programme.
To volunteer, email the trust at ohiwaheadlandsanctuary@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.