Endangered creature returns to island off New Zealand for first time in 60 years
For the first time in more than six decades, an endangered bird has returned to a small New Zealand Island.
A total of 40 tīeke, or saddlebacks, were reintroduced to Rakitū Island on Aotearoa (New Zealand)'s northeast coast, according to a June 11 news release from the Department of Conservation.
The birds were once plentiful on Rakitū and to the islands north and south, but the accidental introduction of rats in the 20th century quickly put their populations in danger, officials said.
'A boat accidentally brought ship rats to Big South Cape Island (largest of its three island homes), and quickly spread to the other two,' officials explained.
By the 1960s, the species was on the brink of extinction, and officials were forced to step in to try and save the birds.
In 1964, just 36 saddlebacks remained, officials said, and they were removed from the islands until the rat problem could be solved.
'Formed from the remains of an eroded volcano, Rakitū was first discovered by Ngāti Rehua ancestors 800 years ago and has been a place of significance ever since,' officials said in the release.
Rats were officially irradiated from the island in 2018, officials said, and 'the island has seen a strong return of its unique flora and fauna including native birds and rare large-leaved forms of rangiora, tawa and kawakawa.'
It was now time to bring tīeke home.
'Since rats were eradicated, we've seen the mauri/lifeforce returning to the (island),' Department of Conservation Aotea operations manager Fletcher Beazley said in the release.
There are now multiple mainland sanctuaries for the birds, allowing the population to grow and eventually be reintroduced to all of its native habitats, officials said.
'The North Island saddleback is now resident on 19 islands and is in a favorable position to survive provide invasive predators are kept off these islands. The South Island species is on 11 smaller islands but its tiny founding population leaves it vulnerable to inbreeding,' officials said.
Rakitū Island, home of the Rakitū Island Scenic Reserve, includes just over 800 acres of uninhabited land with cliffs going down to the sea, with an 'imposing fortress-like appearance,' officials said.
The island is off the northern coast of the north island of New Zealand, in the southern Pacific.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Incredibly rare ‘fairy' creatures take flight in New Zealand. ‘Exciting chapter'
From wild nests to the Auckland Zoo, the rarest bird in New Zealand just wrapped up its breeding season — and it was a 'successful and exciting chapter.' Tara iti, or New Zealand fairy terns, are a small, nationally critically endangered species with fewer than 45 adult birds living in the wild. 'Every chick is precious,' wildlife experts said in a June 18 news release from the Department of Conservation, making annual breeding programs essential for survival of the species in Aotearoa, the Māori name for New Zealand. 'Thanks to intensive management of wild nests and a growing hand-rearing program with Auckland Zoo, this season saw 19 fledglings take to the skies,' officials said. 'This is a significant improvement from last year's nine, and just three the year before.' The tara iti season began in December, when there were fewer than 35 terns remaining, officials said, but there were nine active nests and 25 eggs by the middle of the month. By February, 10 chicks had already fledged into the wild, joining the other shorebirds surviving on their own, wildlife officials said. 'We're pleased with how the season is progressing, but there's still a long way to go,' Department of Conservation ranger Nikki Hartley said in February. Once on their own, the birds are known to take significant flights, officials said. One young bird, for example, traveled more than 1,000 miles across four flights while wearing a small tracking 'backpack,' officials said. The birds weigh just 2.5 ounces but can cross significant distances of land and sea. 'Post-breeding season monitoring recorded 50 individual tara iti (up from 33 individuals last season), including 28 adults, nine sub-adults and 13 fledglings,' officials said. One of the birds spotted flying about was a young female that had been hand-reared during the 2023-2024 breeding season, according to the release. 'She survived the winter months, making her the first hand-reared bird known to have done so,' Department of Conservation senior ranger Alex Wilson said in the release. 'Each fledgling is a step forward, and the information we're collecting helps us understand how to get the best outcomes from our recovery efforts.' The tara iti live on New Zealand's North Island, east of Australia in the south Pacific Ocean.
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Endangered creature returns to island off New Zealand for first time in 60 years
For the first time in more than six decades, an endangered bird has returned to a small New Zealand Island. A total of 40 tīeke, or saddlebacks, were reintroduced to Rakitū Island on Aotearoa (New Zealand)'s northeast coast, according to a June 11 news release from the Department of Conservation. The birds were once plentiful on Rakitū and to the islands north and south, but the accidental introduction of rats in the 20th century quickly put their populations in danger, officials said. 'A boat accidentally brought ship rats to Big South Cape Island (largest of its three island homes), and quickly spread to the other two,' officials explained. By the 1960s, the species was on the brink of extinction, and officials were forced to step in to try and save the birds. In 1964, just 36 saddlebacks remained, officials said, and they were removed from the islands until the rat problem could be solved. 'Formed from the remains of an eroded volcano, Rakitū was first discovered by Ngāti Rehua ancestors 800 years ago and has been a place of significance ever since,' officials said in the release. Rats were officially irradiated from the island in 2018, officials said, and 'the island has seen a strong return of its unique flora and fauna including native birds and rare large-leaved forms of rangiora, tawa and kawakawa.' It was now time to bring tīeke home. 'Since rats were eradicated, we've seen the mauri/lifeforce returning to the (island),' Department of Conservation Aotea operations manager Fletcher Beazley said in the release. There are now multiple mainland sanctuaries for the birds, allowing the population to grow and eventually be reintroduced to all of its native habitats, officials said. 'The North Island saddleback is now resident on 19 islands and is in a favorable position to survive provide invasive predators are kept off these islands. The South Island species is on 11 smaller islands but its tiny founding population leaves it vulnerable to inbreeding,' officials said. Rakitū Island, home of the Rakitū Island Scenic Reserve, includes just over 800 acres of uninhabited land with cliffs going down to the sea, with an 'imposing fortress-like appearance,' officials said. The island is off the northern coast of the north island of New Zealand, in the southern Pacific.
Miami Herald
04-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Shocked driver stops for rare creature on New Zealand road. Watch ‘epic' moment
Though they might look cute and fluffy, bushtail possums are serious threats to native wildlife in New Zealand. After their introduction in the mid-1800s in an attempt to establish a fur trade, possums have spiraled out of control, taking up habitat and spreading disease to the creatures that call Aotearoa, or New Zealand, home. That's why driver Campbell Hutchings nearly sped up his car when he thought he saw one of the invasive animals on the road, according to a June 4 news release from the Department of Conservation. Thankfully, he decided to get a closer look first. 'He slowed down on the road near Ōtanewainuku and was rewarded with a kiwi encounter many New Zealanders dream of,' wildlife officials said in the release. 'In a video sure to tug at on heart strings, his first reaction is shock, followed quickly by a delighted 'It's a kiwi!' as the unconcerned bird meanders across the road.' Officials shared the video of the surprise moment. Hutchings hops out of his vehicle as the bird moves slowly across the road, saying he has never seen one in the wild before, the video shows. 'Epic!' he exclaims. Brown kiwis are the most common kiwi population and are found on the northern island of New Zealand, according to the release. Seeing them at all used to be very rare, but sightings are increasing as their numbers grow thanks to conservation efforts. 'We're at a point where encounters with kiwi are becoming more frequent. Kiwi live in a range of habitats so they won't necessarily stay in a neat patch of bush, they cross the road and enter backyards, it's amazing, but also risky for the birds. It's essential we all play a role in protecting them,' Department of Conservation Tauranga operations manager Kristine Theiss said in the release. 'You can see in this video just how naïve they are — absolutely no idea about roads or cars — so we ask drivers to watch out for them at night in kiwi areas,' Theiss said. 'There's often a yellow kiwi sign indicating their presence in the area.' There are now an estimated 26,000 brown kiwi that have multiple daytime shelters and burrows they use, sometimes in tight vegetation but other times along the edge of roads, wildlife officials said. 'As bird numbers increase, we are calling on our community to slow down when traveling around Ōtanewainuku to protect them from vehicles,' Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust chair Lesley Jensen said in the release. The Ōtanewainuku forest is near the northern coast of New Zealand's north island.
