Wild-to-wild transfer of great spotted kiwi to the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project, Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand

Summary

The Department of Conservation's Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project, a pest-controlled 5,000 hectare mainland island in Nelson Lakes National Park, tested whether adult great spotted kiwi (Apteryx haastii) could be transferred directly from one wild population to another to establish a new one, a method not previously well trialed for this species. Nine adult kiwi were captured by trained kiwi-detection dogs in Kahurangi National Park over about a week in May 2004, held in plywood crates, and helicoptered to the release area within 48 hours, generally the day after capture, with a preference for moving established pairs; seven more birds followed in May 2006. Kiwi were placed into prepared burrows spaced 600 to 800 metres apart, approximating natural territorial spacing, with paired birds housed in adjacent burrows and some individuals artificially paired. One 2004 bird sustained a bill injury during transfer and could not be released; crates were redesigned before 2006. Of 16 released kiwi, none is confirmed to have dispersed from the release area, and only one has died, from drowning in a flood 21 months post-release. Naturally paired birds stayed together and dispersed less than artificially paired ones. Five breeding attempts were detected within three years, producing three radio-tagged juveniles that all survived past the 1 kilogram weight threshold safe from stoat predation, aided by intensive stoat trapping. The project rated itself Successful, noting the 2004 bill injury was the only factor preventing a Highly Successful rating.