Birds beat possums
Kia ora, kaka!
Kaka are turning up in Kilbirnie, kakariki are colonising the Kapiti Coast and whitehead are back in Belmont for the first time in over a century. Flocks of tui and kereru are common and people are hearing bellbirds in their gardens again.
Greater Wellington’s Ray Clarey says more than 10 years of possum and rat control in reserves and private bush blocks has helped native birds make a comeback. “Possums and rats eat the flowers and berries that our native birds eat. They eat the eggs and chicks too. With fewer possums and rats, the birds thrive and their chicks have a better chance of surviving.”
Ray says Greater Wellington carried out possum and rat control on 20,000 hectares of reserves, regional parks and private land around the region last year. Greater Wellington’s BioWorks team also carries out large possum control operations across the region each year to help eliminate bovine Tb.
“All this predator control means there are more native birds and they can use more parts of our region,” says Ray. “Rare birds such as kaka and kakariki, that have been limited to sanctuaries and islands, can spend time in our parks and gardens.”
The BioWorks team will be doing large possum control operations for bovine Tb over the next nine months in Eastern Hutt, Mangaroa/Kaitoke, Otaki and Mount Bruce