Category: Orokonui

Dunedin residents have been excited by an increase in the number of kākā sighted in backyards and parks across the city. Reports made to Orokonui Ecosanctuary of these treasured birds have increased in the last few years and staff at the sanctuary say this is for good reason.

These noisy forest parrots were first reintroduced to Orokonui Ecosanctuary in 2008, after being locally extinct for around 150 years. In recent years Orokonui has seen a steady increase in the kākā population in and around the sanctuary with more and more kākā spreading their wings and being seen across the city.

This breeding season 22 wild born kākā were banded at the sanctuary. While these numbers are still modest they represent a big increase over the years. It took Orokonui 16 years from 2008 to 2024 to band 100 wild born kākā and then in the two seasons since they have banded nearly 40.

With many more young kākā around year on year there is also a marked increase in kākā sightings in the sanctuary. Staff and volunteers have recorded 65 individuals sighted In recent surveys. This only records kākā seen in the sanctuary so the total number in the population is likely much higher. Especially as more kākā spend more time outside the fence. This includes kākā like Pink/Yellow-White which has been in the area surrounding Dunedin Southern Cemetery since March last year, as well as others seen in Brighton, Waverley, The Cove, and Mosgiel.

Orokonui Operations Manager Elton Smith was there to release the first kākā back into the sanctuary so for him this increase is especially meaningful “ It’s been an incredibly rewarding journey to this point, even though we now see kākā every day, you still stop in your tracks when a large flock flies over the valley”. While the job isn’t done for Orokonui it’s now time for others to step up “For kākā to truly thrive across Dunedin there is only so much more we can do here at Orokonui, it now comes down to the how the community supports their new neighbours”.

Here are some simple ways everyone can support kākā as they move into our local areas:

• Avoid feeding kākā at home. Feeding kākā in backyards can lead to bad behaviours, disease spread, and malnutrition. Human foods like nuts and bread can even cause death in kākā through metabolic bone disease.
  
• Help create a predator free future by doing some backyard trapping or supporting our local predator free groups.

• Planting and protecting native trees is a great way to provide food, shelter, and nesting sites for kākā in our communities.

• Help keep wildlife and our pets safe by restricting wandering of cats and dogs in forest areas. Especially during kākā nesting season over the warmer months.

It’s been a huge couple of years for takahē at Orokonui and across the motu. Last year for the first time in many years both the takahē pairs in the sanctuary had chicks. With Waimarie and Bennet raising two juveniles in the upper sanctuary. Meanwhile at the valley floor Jessie and Bounty raised their first chick as well. All three chicks have done well and are now as large if not bigger than their parents. With support from Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, mana whenua of Orokonui we now have new names for these three.

Jessie and Bounty’s chick is now Omimi, her bands are Orange/Red – Orange/Metal. Waimarie and Bennet’s two chicks are Maraekura and Maukoroa. Maraekura can be distinguished with her bands being Green/Green – Black/Metal. For Maukoroa his bands are Orange/White – Red/Metal. These name relate to the local landscape around the sanctuary and up the coast to Karitane. They mean wherever these young takahē end up once they leave Orokonui for the next part of their adventure they will carry a bit of their whakapapa and where they grew up with them wherever they end up.

Takahē at Orokonui are part of the wider Takahē Recovery Programme run by the Department of Conservation. Each year young birds from the sanctuary are moved to be part of wild populations like that now established in the Rees valley. Three Orokonui born takahē have been released there including Ihaka who hatched in Orokonui in 2023 and this summer was recorded raising their own chicks in the wild. It is a privilege for the sanctuary and our team to be part of the lives of these birds and their story as they return to landscapes they have been lost from.

The best way to see takahē at Orokonui is to explore the upper sanctuary in the morning. Especially around the takahē supplementary feeding area. To see the valley floor whānau you can continue past the tallest tree and you might get a glimpse of them lurking in the grasses, this group isn’t as easy to spot as those in the upper sanctuary though.

Orokonui Ecosanctuary – Te Korowai o Mihiwaka is excited to be hosting the 2024 Sanctuaries of New Zealand (SONZI) conference in August 2024. This annual meeting is a great opportunity for conservationists around the motu to come together to discuss shared wins, challenges, and aspirations.

The meeting will be held over three days from 13th-15th August 2024, with the venue being the Orokonui visitor’s centre.

Tuesday 13th August: Science Day – A curated collection of talks of sanctuary relevant conservation science.

Wednesday 14th August: SONZI Day – Presentations and discussions on governance, finance, relationships, and sanctuaries. As well as soapbox sessions from those working in the sanctuary space.

Thursday 15th August: SONZI AGM & Field trips – Fields trips at Orokonui to support a range of interests and fitness.

The programme and other details including a link to register can be found here

To register use this link

Hundreds of hours of staff and volunteer time go towards caring for kākā at Orokonui. From keeping the sanctuary mammalian predator free, checking nest boxes, filling and cleaning feeders, banding and surveying, and educating people. It’s suffice to say these charismatic taoka keep us busy. But is all this mahi working? Are kākā numbers on the increase? We need your help to learn more about the population.

For the week of the 26th February to 3rd March we are asking anyone and everyone around Ōtepoti/Dunedin to report all kākā they see, every day this week to the kākā database. Whether you see it in your backyard, the sanctuary, or local park we want to know when, where and the bands(if possible) of every kākā spotted.

Why is this so important?

South island kākā are classed as threatened – nationally vulnerable. Meaning they are vulnerable to further decline if nothing is done. A small population of kākā were established at Orokonui, starting in 2008. Before this kākā were lost from this area for around 150 years. While this population is thought to be growing, surveying kākā can be tricky as they are highly mobile. By getting everyone involved for a week we will get a better understanding of how many kākā are in the population, and how far from the sanctuary they are being sighted. This information will help us at Orokonui manage their population better, but will also help guide predator control and habitat enhancement efforts outside the sanctuary.

What to do if you see or hear a kākā

Whenever you see or hear a kākā during the count you can report it straight away to the kākā database here. Or write down the details somewhere and report it later. Photos and videos can be really useful if you have a camera nearby. They can be especially useful for helping to read leg bands.

If you have any trouble reporting kākā, or identifying individuals send through any photos or videos to kaka@orokonui.nz

How do I know if it’s a kākā?

Most of the time kākā are quite obvious but their can be times where they can be a bit more tricky. The easiest time to confuse kākā for other birds is in flight. You can see in the image below the characteristic red can be hard to make out against the light from above. Kākā have shorter wings and flap more than a kāhu/harrier, their wings don’t come to a sharp point like a kārearea/falcon, and their undersides do not appear pale like a kererū.

Another give away of a kākā in any situation are their calls, they are vocal and social birds. So listening out for their calls can be a great way to tell where they are, especially at dawn and dusk when they tend to be most vocal. You can listen to a variety of calls on the birds NZ website

If you want to confirm what you heard, or saw are kākā you can always send a photo, video, or audio recording through to kaka@orokonui.nz

How to read leg bands?

To help us gain more knowledge and manage this population, most of the kākā are banded. Each banded kākā will have a series of bands that create a unique colour combination for that individual. To read the leg bands start on the left leg (from the kākā’s perspective) and read top to bottom, then the same on the right leg. Reading leg bands can be tricky but provides great information

I saw a kākā with no leg bands!

There are always a few kākā in the population without leg bands. They may not have been banded as chicks in the sanctuary because the nest was inaccessible, or they may have been born in a nest outside the sanctuary. Recording unbanded kākā is just as important as recording banded ones, just select the unbanded category when reporting the sighting.

I am not in Dunedin but I saw a kākā

Awesome! It is always special to see a kākā wherever you are in Aotearoa/NZ. However, this project is focused on the kākā found around Dunedin. You can still help scientists in other parts of the country by making an observation of your kākā sighting using iNaturalist or eBird.