Department of Conservation (DOC) staff have witnessed an unprecedented growth in takahe numbers following this season’s takahe census. Figures out this week indicate a 13.6% increase in the number of adult birds, with the number of breeding pairs up 7.9%.

“The takahe management team is very happy to see this increase, especially as it builds on increases seen in the past three seasons” DOC ranger Jane Maxwell said. “Nothing seems to happen very quickly when dealing with a long-lived, slow breeding species, so increases of this level are really significant”.

The takahe census is carried out annually and covers a core part of the 50,000 ha takahe Special Area within Fiordland National Park. The takahe team has set up a large network of traps for stoat control which effectively protects over 15,000 ha of this special area. “We will be keeping an eye on how the takahe in this area of the Murchison Mountains respond over the next few years, compared with other parts of the takahe Special Area not protected by traps” Maxwell said.

Obviously the team hope to reduce losses of adults and chicks to predation - but by how much is the big question.

Stoats are not the only threat to takahe. The takahe’s staple food, the tussock grasses, are still recovering from hard deer browse over three decades ago. Twenty five years after the introduction of helicopter deer control within the Murchison Mountains, the tussocks are now close to original condition. An ongoing deer control programme is maintained in the area using local helicopter operators and contract hunters.

With the increase in takahe numbers over recent years, the recovery programme now faces the new challenge of maintaining this trend. “The Murchison Mountain population is nearing capacity and we hope to see more takahe setting up home beyond the Special Area over the next few years” DOC takahe programme manager Dave Crouchley said.

The 2002 to 2007 national takahe Recovery Plan has a goal of increasing takahe numbers by 25%. Fiordland is home to over 60% of the world's total takahe population with 171 birds in total.

ENDS

For more information please contact Dave Crouchley at the Department of Conservation; Tel: +64 3 249 7921;

Email: dcrouchley@doc.govt.nz

Additional Information:

• In 1948 Dr Geoffrey Orbell discovered a remnant population of takahe living in the Murchison Mountains of Fiordland. They had been considered extinct for 50 years prior to this discovery
• Early estimates suggest that the takahe population in Fiordland may have declined by about 60% in the 30 years following their rediscovery
• Like many NZ unique bird species, being large, flightless and slow to reproduce, the takahe succumbed to the impacts of land clearance and the introduction of predators that came with human occupation.
• takahe survived in the Murchison Mountains due to the isolation from many of these factors
• takahe census: teams go into the Murchison Mts in spring and spend around several weeks covering the country, finding birds, their nests and recording number and quality of eggs. Later in the season a second survey is done which confirms numbers and checks number of eggs hatched in the wild.
• After cold winters the takahe team usually see a drop in adult numbers as well as decreases in hatching success and chick survival.