Translocation of tīeke
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Translocation and reintroduction of tīeke.
On 19 and 20 April 19, 2021 forty tīeke (South Island saddleback) were transported to the Sanctuary from Motuara Island in the Queen Charlotte Sound, first by boat to Ships Cove, then by helicopter.
Despite promising early signs, including initial sightings of bird pairings and of young fledglings, unfortunately a tīeke population has not established itself in the Sanctuary. It seems highly likely that all of the translocated tīeke, and any surviving offspring, flew beyond the safety of the pest-fence into the neighbouring forest areas and fell prey to rats and other introduced predators.
What is a successful translocation and reintroduction?
There are many factors that contribute to a successful translocation (the movement of an animal from one habitat to another), among them handling the birds with care, selecting healthy individuals, keeping the birds well fed and watered, and minimizing stress and overheating during transport and release. A successful translocation does not always mean a successful reintroduction however.
Reintroductions of birds to the mainland is more challenging than to offshore islands. The water surrounding islands acts not only as a barrier for invasive predators, but also hinders endangered birds from leaving the safety of the islands. In contrast, due to the open nature of mainland sanctuaries, post-release dispersal away from the release site can be a challenge.
The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary is unique because it is connected to the much larger Mount Richmond Forest of approximately 160,000 hectares. The risk that the reintroduced Tieke would disperse beyond the Sanctuary and be at risk of predation has unfortunately meant that the reintroduction was not successful.
The team are monitoring new efforts at other sanctuaries nationally and may trial further translocations in the future.
The translocation process
The tīeke that were released into the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary came from Motuara Island in the Queen Charlotte Sound. The population on Motuara Island was established in 1994 from descendants of the birds rescued from Big South Cape Island in the 1960’s. In capturing the birds, preference was given to sub-adults as research shows this can reduce the risk of post-release dispersal. They were transported to the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary by helicopter. The tīeke were welcomed by local iwi representatives at Third House and then released into the Sanctuary. The site was selected for its distance from the fence and proximity to fresh water.
Iwi participated in the handover of the birds on both Motuara Island and at the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary. The Sanctuary acknowledges the support of mana whenua iwi in this translocation.
Following the release, birds were monitored using playback calls, acoustic recorders, and five-minute bird counts.
