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Birds at Tawharanui Open Sanctuary

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Birds at Tawharanui Open Sanctuary For millions of years our precious birds evolved with no mammalian pests. They were unprepared when Morepork, Native. Birds at man arrived along with creatures that could chase Morepork roost during and sniff them out. Birds and their nests were the day in thick Tawharanui Open Sanctuary decimated. Our birds need our help to survive. vegetation. Morepork eat mice, (A full bird list is available at the office.) NZ Dotterel Endemic. spiders and baby birds. NZ dotterel are losing Morepork may be seen beach habitat to humans during the day when and housing. They are bellbirds and tui gang up disturbed by dogs and to drive them away from suffer predation by cats, their territories. They are stoats, and rats. They return regularly heard at night. every year to their nesting territories. Ten pairs make Tawharanui their home. Variable Oystercatcher Endemic. From juveniles to breeding age takes seven years. They can be seen feeding on the beaches and amongst the rocks. They can be very noisy and aggressive when protecting nests. Takahe are endemic. (They are only found in NZ.) Takahe can’t fly as they evolved in New Zealand with Black-backed Gull no ground predators. Since 2014 fourteen have been Unprotected, native. released at Tawharanui through the Department of They scavenge and eat North Island Brown Kiwi Endemic. Conservation Takahe Recovery Programme. They all food scraps, fish, worms Kiwi were introduced to Tawharanui in 2006. If you have radio transmitters and are monitored carefully. and small chicks. At carry a torch covered in red cellophane and are Tawharanui some cruise very quiet in Ecology Bush you may hear them on the updraft created scratching around in the forest floor. If you are lucky by the cliff along Ocean they may pop out on the track for you to see. Beach and pick off NZ Their repetitive call can be heard at night. dotterel chicks. Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Red-billed Gull Native. is a joint project between Auckland Council AC and Declining numbers these Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Society Incorporated birds are now on the (TOSSI). threatened species list. They roost and nest in large flocks. A colony Tawharanui Pukeko are native. (They are found in other countries) nested near Phoenix Common pukeko can fly. Pukeko were a wetland Rock for three years and Open Sanctuary bird. When humans arrived they flourished on open now have moved further Society Inc. farm land and are now abundant everywhere. east. North Island Robin Bellbird Karimako. Fantail Piwakawaka. Toutouwai. Endemic. Endemic. Bellbird Native. When Inquisitive, especially disappeared from catching insects they in chance of food Northland in the 1850s. are manoeuvrable when the forest floor In 2005 they returned using their tails to stop has been disturbed in naturally to Tawharanui in mid air and change their territory. North from Hauturu Island direction. They are Island robins were and have been friendly along bush released back into extremely successful. tracks. In city gardens Tawharanui in 2007. Their melodic song can they are very be heard often. susceptible to cats. Saddleback Tieke. Tui Endemic. Tui have Kingfisher Kotare Endemic. Vulnerable a brood diet of nectar, Native. They usually to mammalian fruit and invertebrates. are solitary or in pairs predators because Tui fly up to 20 perching on posts , saddleback feed on kilometres for a good rocks, and power lines the ground and roost food source. They between feeding low in the forest. They have adapted well to flights. Their diet is thrive in managed human changes and insects, crabs, lizards sanctuaries. They visit rural and city earth worms, mice and were released in 2012. gardens. small birds . They nest in holes in banks and tree trunks. Whitehead Popokatea. Red Crowned Kakariki. Endemic. Distributed in Endemic. A parrot very Brown Teal Pateke native forests in the susceptible to Rare Endemic. North island. mammalian predators. Translocated to Whiteheads are host They are rare in native Tawharanui in 2008 to parents for the long forests on the mainland 2010 through a captive tailed cuckoo who lays but common on breeding programme. an egg in their nest. Stewart Island and They are now They were released predator free islands. established at back into Tawharanui They were released at Tawharanui and in in 2007. Tawharanui in 2009. neighbouring wetlands. New Zealand Pigeon Kaka Endemic. Paradise Shelduck Kereru, Kukupa, Parea. Kaka numbers were Endemic. They thrive in Putangitangi. Endemic. reduced by clear-felling Mostly seen as pairs native forests of forests for farming. especially in lowland but during December When predators were they flock to moulting areas, forest patches, removed from rural and city gardens sites such as Tawharanui kaka found Tawharanui Lagoon. and parks, feeding their own way back. mainly on berries. Their The male has a black They are successfully head and the female nest is a flimsy platform breeding at Tawharanui. of sticks. has a white head. .
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