Establishing Or Enhancing a Kiwi Population
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North Island Overview to ESTABLISHING OR ENHANCING A KIWI POPULATION CREATED BY: IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Wendy Sporle UPDATED BY: Clea Gardiner, Northland Regional Coordinator, Kiwis for kiwi Imagine kiwi in your backyard. Do you know how many people are involved in stopping North Island brown kiwi from becoming extinct? Their mahi (work) safeguards our national taonga (treasure) for the future. So can you. Managing land to make it safe for kiwi involves hard work, skills, time, resources and commitment. If your vision is to see more kiwi on North Island whenua (land), this flyer will get you started. Whether you are establishing a new or adding to an existing kiwi population, many people and organisations that are involved in handling, protecting and translocating (moving) birds can help you explore options. They will work one-on-one with you, provide resource materials and expert advice. The Department The Kiwi Recovery Group of Conservation Nationwide, kiwi conservation is guided by the Kiwi Recovery Group (KRG) and DOC. The KRG works towards To get started on any project, approach your local goals described in the National Kiwi Recovery Plan. Department of Conservation (DOC) office or look The KRG also reviews kiwi translocation applications in online: www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/run-a-project/ partnership with DOC. translocation. Local DOC officers can advise, issue translocation permits and help you liaise with other kiwi specialists. If changes to best practices occur, DOC staff The Northland Kiwi Forum can keep you up to date. Working Group - - The Northland Kiwi Forum Working Group (NKFWG) is a Whanau, Hapu and Iwi collaborative union of kiwi conservationists. The NKFWG For any kiwi project to succeed, comprehensive works towards goals described in the Northland Brown discussions must occur with iwi, who have mana whenua Kiwi Taxon Plan. The group assists with steering Northland (power over the land) over source populations, and kiwi translocations and assists community projects. with tangata whenua (people of the land), who oversee release sites. You must keep iwi informed, and trapping, translocation and advocacy are mahi local hapū (sub- Kiwis for Kiwi tribes) may wish to undertake in their capacity as kaitiaki Kiwis for kiwi (www.kiwisforkiwi.org) have many easy-to- (guardians of the land). access resources to help you understand what is involved in protecting kiwi. Resources about predator control, local projects near you and kiwi avoidance training for dogs are available online. Why Translocate Kiwi? Key Considerations You might want to translocate kiwi for several reasons: Translocations must be undertaken in accordance with DOC procedures and the Treaty of Waitangi. Templates, • To boost established populations to ensure successful forms and guidelines are available to help you organise breeding and good genetics. your translocation. Local DOC staff will provide you • To expand the range of kiwi by returning them to areas with the required documents, such as a translocation where they have historically been present but are application, and staff are more than happy to help you unable to recolonise through natural dispersal. through the process. They can also provide you with contact details for relevant iwi, hapū and whānau. • To create crèche or kōhanga (nursery) sites which are protected populations that can be used to supply young The Operation Nest Egg (ONE) umbrella translocation birds to other areas. approval allows multiple projects to be covered by a single translocation proposal of ONE birds. ONE translocations • To salvage kiwi from places where they are no longer involve temporary removal of kiwi chicks and eggs that are safe and there is no way to make them safe (in special at high risk of being killed by predators at mainland sites circumstances only, such as when isolated kiwi are not to safe locations (e.g. captive institutions, crèche sites), breeding because their numbers are too few). where they are reared to a target weight of approximately 1200 grams. These adolescent kiwi are then returned to Translocation Applications mainland sites. New applications can be added to this umbrella proposal after going through a simple checklist, Successful translocation applications answer and changes to existing projects can be made without seven questions: preparing separate translocation proposals. Your local • Does the translocation meet national kiwi recovery DOC staff can advise if the ONE option is appropriate for objectives? Get copies of national and regional plans your project. for kiwi recovery on line and talk to local experts. Meeting Kiwi Conservation Objectives • Is the proposed recipient site within the current or former natural range of kiwi? Find out from local Before you start, ask your local DOC office for copies of: experts such as Kiwis for kiwi, the NKFWG or DOC. • The Kiwi Recovery Plan, • Are the causes of kiwi decline or loss at this site • The appropriate regional Taxon Plan, understood, and can wild animal threats to kiwi be managed? Predators must be controlled for 3 • The National Translocation Strategy, and for Northland, consecutive years before kiwi can be introduced. • The Northland Translocation Strategy • Can the proposed source population supply enough Check your project plans against these documents. If kiwi? A viable population must be started with a you are unsure if your project will meet existing kiwi minimum of 40 founder birds. conservation objectives, discuss your options with local • Do you have enough resources (equipment, people DOC staff and/or the NKFWG. and funds) to prepare your site for kiwi, to carry out the translocation and to protect kiwi afterwards? You will Current and Former Range need a site-specific budget and a project timeline. Confirm if kiwi lived at your proposed translocation • Are you working towards a ‘big picture’ outcome — site in the past. If they did, find out which taxa (variety) such as restoration of a forest? Check with local kiwi lived there. Local DOC experts are your best source experts about your vision and supporting goals. of information. Before translocation occurs, it may be necessary to get them to site-check whether any kiwi • Can the threat from wandering dogs be managed to remain. This information may affect decisions about allow kiwi to breed successfully? A community dog where new kiwi are sourced from and how many birds management plan must be in place for 3 consecutive to translocate. years before kiwi can be translocated. Causes of Decline or Loss • Time of year — kiwi can be caught only when they are not nesting. This restriction prevents nest desertion or If kiwi lived in your project area in the past, it is important injuries to females carrying eggs. Translocations are not to understand what happened to the birds. You will need done during the breeding season, which is 16th May – this information for your translocation application. Typically, 31st December, a 7 ½ month period when catching kiwi local extinctions will be due to mammalian predation or is not allowed. habitat loss: • Dog predation. Dogs are the biggest threat to adult Resourcing a Translocation kiwi. All types of dogs (lifestyle, pig hunting, farm Transfer, release, monitoring and post-release activities and pet) can kill kiwi. This risk must be managed should be arranged before you start your project. The via community engagement and direct control, e.g. approximate cost to translocate 40 unrelated founder birds dog-free subdivisions, avoidance training for dogs, is upwards of $9000, not including post release tracking restricting dog access and managing pig control by time. Costs for translocating fewer kiwi to supplement an using contractors with target-specific, existing population may be less. However, other factors kiwi-averted dogs. will affect your budget, such as how difficult it is to catch source birds. Be prepared to find funds for: • Mustelid predation. Studies have shown that where weasels, stoats and ferrets are not controlled, only 5% • Boat hire to island crèche/kōhanga populations; of kiwi chicks survive. • Kiwi catching fees (all birds weighing over 1,200 g are • Cat predation. Cats can kill kiwi too, especially younger removed); birds. Cats have an active hunting range of up to 20 km from home. • Transmitters for male birds (required for 40%–60% of translocated individuals); • Rat, pig and possum competition. Although they are not direct predators of kiwi, removal of rats, pigs • Telemetry sets to monitor the male kiwi post-release; and possums increases kiwi nest productivity. Control and of these competitors will deliver other conservation • Release event costs, e.g. food and/or marquee hire. benefits, too. • Habitat loss. Good kiwi habitat is defined by size The Big Picture of usable area, year-round quality of food and the Translocations of any natural taonga, especially kiwi, will attractiveness of spots where kiwi can nest and hide. not be undertaken in isolation. Applicants for translocation Small bush fragments cannot sustain kiwi unless they permits should be working towards a big-picture are connected by “corridors”, access routes kiwi can use goal — such as restoring a forest — supported by the to migrate safely between bush areas. translocation objective. After all, kiwi need good homes to survive. Having a vision for the whole area ensures long- • Vehicle strike. Vehicle strike kills kiwi in some areas term success and buy-in from group members and the where bush fragments are divided by roads. wider community. Sustainability of Kiwi Supply The Dog Threat Seek advice to identify potential source populations. You must make sure that translocating birds does not have You will need a dog management plan in place 3 years a negative impact on the kōhanga/crèche population. before translocating kiwi. Kiwi avoidance training Monitoring source birds will help you identify if the is essential to help minimise the dog threat to kiwi removal of kiwi will be beneficial or not.