A new Hauraki Gulf island reserve got its first introduced migrants today - 80 birds that will now call Rotoroa Island home.
They were caught on Little Barrier Island over the weekend ahead of today's 70km journey.
Rotoroa Island is a tranquil sea of green in the Hauraki Gulf and the new home of 40 saddleback and 40 whitehead birds.
The Rotoroa Island Trust and the Auckland Zoo have been working together to eradicate pests and plant native vegetation on the island.
Today marks the start of the next phase of the project.
"It's only the beginning of course, but it's such a milestone for us to be able to release [the] first species on the island," says Auckland Zoo Director Jonathan Wilcken.
While the birds are the first to be brought to the island as part of the project, they won't be the last.
The plan is to bring up to 20 species over the next four years, including kiwi later this year.
Philip Salsbury lives on the island and will be responsible for looking after the new arrivals.
"We got 80 birds today but we hopefully, in five years' time, we will be releasing 80 birds to elsewhere and we will still have 80 birds, but we can help repopulate other areas in New Zealand," says Mr Salsbury.
It's not just the saddleback and whitehead that are welcome on the island; it's hoped a new solar-powered gannet calling system will help create a colony.
"I'd like to be 20 years younger to see the trees and a lot more bird life here," says Barrie Brown from the Rotoroa Island Trust. "It'll be a wonderful place to come and see nature."
And it's accessible too - from central Auckland it's a 50-minute ferry ride away.
3 News
source: newshub archive
