Most takahē chicks hatch between October and December, but we celebrate the hatch-day for every takahē on 1 October. This shared hatch-day helps us track the population consistently, with last season’s chicks being officially added to the tally when they turn one. Last year, this brought the population to an estimated total of 529 takahē.
Images 2 & 3: Adult takahē feeding chicks | Lisa Van Beek/DOC
A new approach
This year, we’re going to do things a little differently when it comes to counting our flightless feathered friends.
With more wild manu, fewer transmitters and greater natural dispersal, reporting an estimated population number has become more difficult, and less meaningful. Moving forward, the takahē population will be reported as an estimated range, similar to many other native species.
Making progress
Since their rediscovery in 1948, takahē recovery efforts have focused on increasing population numbers to ensure the species’ survival. Now, after decades of dedicated mahi, the focus has broadened. Success is no longer measured solely by how many birds there are, but also by the genetic and physical health of the birds, and the ecosystems they call home.
For many years, Fiordland’s Murchison Mountains were the only wild site for takahē. The total population there was revised annually as a single, estimated number. With 50,000 hectares to cover, tracking every wild takahē is never possible. Instead, we conduct extensive ground surveys to monitor a subset of birds, and that data is modelled to estimate the wild population. These surveys, once conducted twice a year, have become less frequent and now utilise novel, more efficient, methods and technologies.
Making it count
As well as the wild takahē estimates, the population numbers charted below include known takahē at 18 sanctuary sites across the country. These sites support our core breeding programme, which contributes to the wild populations, and ultimately our goal restoring takahē to their former natural ranges as a functioning element of natural ecosystems.
Going wild
The establishment of three new wild sites in Kahurangi and Whakatipu over the past seven years has brought exciting progress. One key change is that not every takahē is tracked anymore. While transmitters still provide valuable insights, it’s a sign of success that not every bird needs one.
We’re also seeing increased natural dispersal – some takahē have roamed up to 40 km from their release sites. It’s wild to think that centuries after they were widespread across Aotearoa, people are again spotting takahē while camping or even playing a round of golf.
The new population range
Armed with 77 years of takahē recovery history, robust data, and new technology, our scientists and technical advisors are currently calculating the first estimated population range for takahē. We hope to share it with you soon, and when we do, it will mark another milestone in the long journey to restore this once-thought-extinct taonga.
We achieve our mahi together with our Treaty partner Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and national partner Fulton Hogan.
A lovely success story the result of purposeful planning , dedication and lots, that’s lots of hard work.
That’s great news! Looking at the population graph made me curious as to the cause of the sudden drop in numbers in 2007. Was that a step-change due to a different methodology used to estimate the Murchison Mountains population, or was there an actual decrease in their numbers?
Great question Graham. That drop reflects the impact on the Murchison Mountains population from stoats, following a mega-mast event. At the time, the Murchies held more than half of the total takahē population, and around 40 percent of those were lost to predation.
This impact event led to a major increase in both the extent and intensity of trapping efforts in the area. Looking ahead, we’re actively preparing for elevated predation risk in 2027, following this summer’s mega-mast. The good news is we now have extensive pest control in place with thousands of traps targeting stoats, ferrets, and feral cats, plus aerial operations surrounding all wild takahē sites.
Work to develop safer, more efficient, and more effective pest control tools is ongoing with our partners. Until Aotearoa is predator free, we cannot eliminate all predation-related deaths, but current tools and resources have proven to significantly reduce the risk.
This is so exciting & heart warming ! I knew Albie Frampton ,who was one of the original people who rediscovered the Takahe in the Murchinson mountains.
Good click-bait. Ya got me! Spotted while playing a round of golf…yeah right,
“Frost was finally found across from the golf course on the Glenorchy lagoon track and was in “a good spot for catching as there is a water barrier”… Oh the naivety”. Yes, thinking he was seen by a golfer as opposed to an intentional search.