Save+the+Kōkako!


 * __North Island kōkako __**

The kōkako belongs to the endemic New Zealand wattlebirds (Callaeidae), an ancient family of birds which includes the North and South Island saddleback and the extinct huia. The kōkako is the only member of its family still surviving on the mainland. A dark bluish-grey bird with a long tail and short wings, it has a pair of brightly coloured, fleshy "wattles" extending from either side of its gape to meet below the neck. The North Island kōkako has blue wattles, while the South Island kōkako has orange or yellow wattles. The bird is not particularly good at flying and prefers to use its powerful legs to leap and run through the forest.



Information courtesey of the Department of Conservation. []

Further information pending...

Joshua has been in contact with Zealandia seeking additional information about both the Kokako and the Takehe. Here's the response Josh received and some attachments for those that are interested. Kei te pai Josh - we're really lucky to have someone with your knowledge and experience in the class. Thanks!!
 * April 10th 2011

Kia ora Josh

Thanks for your email Josh – and its great to hear from someone who is so passionate about the kōkako – and the other wonderful endemic bird species of Aotearoa.

Sadly I don’t think we will see kōkako here in the nearfutire. The reaon is that they have a tendency to disperse rather widely. By that I mean it is quite likely that a kōkako will head for a high area within a forest so their call can travel as far as possible. In ZEALANDIA that means they will be up on the fence line. From there there is everychance they will pop over the fence inot the unsafe reaches of rats and cats etc and get eaten.

I have attached the latest copy of the Latest Kokako Recovery Plan and in it they talk about juvenile birds moving as much as 2500 metres from where they were born. That would mean they would surely fly out of the sanctuary.  The best chance for kōkako at present is to concentrate on the areas that are very large or have big areas of sea surrounding them (that’s why tiritiri matangi have kōkako and we don’t (even though we are bigger)) As we don’t have any here the best way for you to help the kōkako would be to go through Forest and Bird – I will give you the email address of a really cool person there who will be able to help you out (Jenny is her name)  Wk (04) 801 2766  j.lynch@forestandbird.org.nz

As you know Josh – our 2 Takahe have arrived here at Zealandia and they are doing really well. I have included a fact sheet for you that our guides use in their presentations.

Keep up the enthusiasm and great work Josh – we need more people like you who realize how important it is to do something before it is too late.

Regards

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;">Brian Ireland <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> Educator <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> ZEALANDIA: the Karori Sanctuary Experience <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> PH 04 920 9202 <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> brian.ireland@visitzealandia.com

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> [|Takahe ranger notes.doc] <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> [|kokako recovery plan.pdf]


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 29.1167px;"> April 10th 2011 <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> - Information provided for us by Joshua. Thanks Josh - this is a great job and you're doing a wonderful job of informing us all. Well done!

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;">Kokako are an endemic wattlebird and are in danger of extinction. The South Island Kokako are already extinct due to introduced pests including people and destruction of their habitat. We will have to work very hard to stop the North Island Kokako from being extinct too. There are only 400 mating pairs in the world.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;">To help save the kokako we need to do at least three things:

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;">1. Get rid of pests eg possums, rats, mice, weasels, stoats and ferrets <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> 2. Encourage kokako to breed <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> 3. Create lots of kokako nesting places and habitats around New Zealand so they have somewhere to live safely. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> What I have done so far: <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> • Researched facts about the kokako <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> • Downloaded the Kokako Recovery Plan from the Department of Conservation <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> • Emailed Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (Zealandia) to know if they have any kokako and find out if they have any more information about how I can protect them. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> • Found out from Zealandia that they don’t have any Kokako because kokako like to sing at the highest points they can find in the area. That means at Karori, they would sing on the fence at the top of the hill, which would make them vulnerable to predators. They told me that Forest and Bird does look after kokako and would be happy to help me out. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> • Emailed Forest and Bird for information on the Kokako- they will probably help me!

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;">Please let me know if you want to join our team – and take this job very, very seriously <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 20.8px;"> Joshua Bird