Translocation of kokako from one site to another, or from captive breeding programs to the wild, assists kokako conservation
in several ways. Early translocation projects involved the last members of tiny, remnant populations threatened by commercial logging.
Between 1980 and 1988, 32 birds in areas slated for logging were shifted to the safety of Hauturu/Little Barrier Island. In 1994, the last two
remaining birds from Aotea/Great Barrier Island joined the thriving Hauturu population. Translocation has also established kokako on Kapiti
and Tiritiri Matangi Islands.
Offshore island translocations have established important "safety net" populations, preserved the genes of doomed mainland populations and, in
the case of Tiritiri Matangi and Kapiti, provided sanctuaries where people could see and hear kokako. However, these islands do not actually
represent "reintroductions" of kokako, as none is thought to have been a "natural" home to kokako in the past. Aotea/Great Barrier Island is
probably the only offshore island that was part of the North Island kokako's former range.
Two sites on the North Island mainland have seen the true reintroduction of kokako to areas of its former range, a major goal for the recovery group. Releases of birds at
both sites have involved long-term captive breeding programs. These sites,
Pukaha/Mt. Bruce and Boundary Stream Mainland Island,
are both areas of native forest surrounded by a sea of farmland. Being poor fliers, kokako cannot disperse away from the safety of the managed areas.
Kokako in both areas have done well since their release, but it will take time for the populations to grow to the point where they are considered secure
and self-sustaining. Translocation of additional birds to each area may occur, to boost both numbers and genetic diversity in the new populations.
Plans for future reintroductions include areas throughout the North Island. This map shows current populations (both naturally-occurring and
those created by translocation) along with some of the potential and planned sites for future reintroductions.
In some cases (Hunua Ranges), the planned translocation will involve the movement of new birds to existing but small populations. Many potential
reintroduction sites have strong local support for and involvement in predator control programs, such as the Waitakere Ranges' Ark in the Park
and Maungatautari in the Waikato. Several involve the reintroduction of birds to "islands" of intensive predator-control within larger forest tracts.
Reintroduction into such large areas moves kokako conservation into uncharted and exciting territory.
The map of proposed reintroductions doesn't simply represent a "wish list" - it is a work in progress, guided by the knowledge gained
from previous conservation work and continuing research. As of July 2005, the first of the planned reintroductions is underway at Ngapukeriki.
The site at Ngapukeriki centers on an approximately 500-hectare area of intensive predator control, surrounded by thousands of hectares of native
and exotic forest. The area is controlled by the Mangaroa/Ohutu Trust and protected under a Nga Whenua Rahui covenant.
Approximately 20 kokako from the large, protected, and healthy population at Otamatuna in Te Urewera National park will be captured and moved
to Ngapukeriki. The reintroduction at Ngapukeriki will trial three techniques - "mass release" of several individuals simultaneously, temporary
holding of a pair in an aviary, and use of song playback as an "acoustic anchor" - that may encourage released birds to remain within the chosen area.
In addition to enhancing the success of this reintroduction, these efforts at Ngapukeriki will provide valuable information for future
kokako reintroductions.
