Kakariki Breeding on Motutapu
Never before seen in our lifetimes !
Kakariki, the New Zealand native red crowned parakeet,
breeding on Motutapu for the first time in 100 years
Red-crowned parakeets - one of five main species of kakariki - were recorded on Motutapu in September by the Ornithological Society of New Zealand (OSNZ). The OSNZ conducts bird surveys for the Motutapu Restoration Trust every year. Mr Ortiz-Catedral joined them last week to look for signs of breeding parakeets. Only the male of the pair was banded, and had been released on nearby pest-free Motuihe eight months ago.
Motutapu and Rangitoto are on their way to becoming pest-free after the Department of Conservation began a two-year campaign to rid the islands of seven remaining mammalian pests in June this year. Richard Griffiths, project manager for the Rangitoto and Motutapu restoration project, says it's exciting to see kakariki back so soon - but says we must look after them. "Now that native birds are nesting on the islands, it's more important than ever before for visitors to ensure they don't accidentally bring any pests with them," he says.
While parakeets like to forage in open areas with bush close by to provide cover, the one factor that influences their survival the most is the presence or absence of predators, says Mr Ortiz-Catedral. He says the fact that parakeets have made their own way to Motutapu so quickly after most of the pests were removed will attract international attention. "Natural colonisations of islands by parrots are not common. The Hauraki Gulf is becoming a worldwide example of how restoring key sites can help surrounding islands too - it happens so often here that we tend to lose perspective."
