The Tanekaha CPCA is proud to announce the arrival of two kiwi chicks! And the good news is that thanks to the hard work of the local community, for the first time the area is deemed safe enough for these kiwi chicks to be allowed to stay.
In the past, kiwi eggs and chicks have been removed by Department of Conservation staff to the safe keeping of hatching facilities or predator free islands.
The Tanekaha Community Pest Control Area (CPCA) is located to the west of the Hikurangi swamp, near the DOC managed reserves that form part of the Whangarei Kiwi Sanctuary. In June 2006, a kiwi from one of the DOC reserves with a transmitter on it’s leg, went walk-a-bout. DOC Rangers tracked the kiwi using telemetry monitoring equipment and discovered the kiwi had moved into an area of native forest on private farmland in the Tanekaha area.
Within six months, this kiwi had formed a pair with one of the few kiwi remaining at Tanekaha. Subsequent monitoring carried out by DOC confirmed that there was in fact a small breeding population of kiwi in the area. The resident ‘kiwi dad’ is called “Two Toes”. The first five viable eggs from his nest were removed to the Auckland Zoo and Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre for hatching. One kiwi chick was relocated to the
Matakohe-Limestone Island Kiwi Crèche and four chicks went to Motuora Island.
On these predator-free islands the chicks can roam in safety and grow bigger until they reach a target weight of around 1kg. At this weight Northland brown kiwi are big enough to fight off most predators except for large feral cats, ferrets and dogs and can be returned to specific mainland sites where there is good pest and dog control.
However, when a dead kiwi chick was found at Tanekaha in 2012, the community knew they had to do something.
Locals rallied around to form the Tanekaha CPCA with funding and support from the Northland Regional Council. To protect their kiwi the community got involved in trapping and spread the word about the need for good dog control. After three years, the project is a huge success, with all the farms over an 800ha area involved.
Edwin Smith, volunteered to be trained up in predator trapping. Todd Hamilton, the professional trapper for the Backyard Kiwi project was brought in to do the job. Edwin now both carries out the trapping and also coordinates the Tanekaha CPCA group.
After just three years, the community has noticed a transformation in bird life and healthy regeneration of the plants and trees in the bush.
Edwin has lived in the area all his life and has found the project very rewarding, saying:
“Since it was ‘us’ who caused the situation that we’re in, it is up to ‘us’ to sort it out.”
The Tanekaha CPCA group are now working with DOC to acquire a Translocation Permit so that kiwi can be returned to Tanekaha. They plan to hold their own Kiwi Release events – watch this space!!!!
For more information on starting a Community Pest Control Area contact Graeme Weavers at NRC or Ngaire Tyson, the Kiwi Coast Coordinator.
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