Today’s photo is of a critically endangered orange-fronted parakeet/kākāriki karaka, the rarest of our native parakeet species.
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Come behind the scenes and into the jobs, the challenges, the highlights, and the personalities of the people who work at the Department of Conservation (DOC). Today we profile Jamin Barkley, Orange Fronted Parakeet Ranger, Operations (Temp) in Rangiora.
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Recently Services Rangers Megan Farley travelled to Blumine Island in the Marlborough Sounds to carry out the biennial monitoring of the island’s orange fronted parakeet population.
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By Megan Farley, Ranger (Biodiversity Services) in Rangiora.
The orange-fronted parakeet (kākāriki karaka) is arguably New Zealand’s most threatened endemic forest bird species.
During a recent stint in the field, the orange-fronted parakeet team spent four days monitoring the population of parakeets that have been released on Maud Island in the Marlborough Sounds
Young orange-fronted parakeet on Maud Island
Maud Island has had a few issues for the parakeet population, due to a pair of falcon (kārearea) attacking fledging chicks, a lack of nesting sites, and a lack of water and food sources.
Maud Island
Despite these setbacks a flock of eight orange fronted parakeets were found during this trip, all feeding together on olearia flowers (tree daisies) and bathing in the nearby stream.
Mature male orange-fronted parakeet from one of the first releases onto Maud Island in 2007
Of the individual parakeets that were found, three were original birds released onto the island over six years ago, while five were birds that had hatched on the island.
Find more information on the orange-fronted parakeet on the DOC website or by liking Team OFP on Facebook.
By John Kearvell, Biodiversity Ranger – Orange-fronted parakeet
Tuhua/Mayor Island
On Wednesday 19th December 12 orange-fronted parakeets/kākāriki karaka (9 males and 3 females) were released on Tuhua/Mayor Island. The orange-fronted parakeets were bred at the Captive Unit at Peacock Springs, by the Isaacs Wildlife Trust in Christchurch.
Air New Zealand came on board to help fly the parakeets from Christchurch to Rotorua where a helicopter piloted by Glenn Olliff from Oceana Helicopters Ltd, Tauranga then took the orange-fronted parakeets directly to Tuhua where they were released by Tauranga sponsor Fauna Recovery New Zealand.
John Heaphy, Conservation Officer Protected Species and Islands Tauranga Area Office, releasing the birds
The birds were all caught by 11am at Peacock Springs and all safely placed into their travelling boxes. Their flight left Christchurch Airport at 12.30pm, and on arrival at Rotorua VIP treatment from Air New Zealand whisked them direct to the waiting helicopter; a big thanks to Air New Zealand for the great treatment afforded to these critically endangered parakeets.
The helicopter left Rotorua and the parakeets were released onto the island by 3.30pm, in very sunny and hot conditions. They were released near the Green Lake in the caldera (Tuhua is a volcano) and all flew off fine. They were released in the same area as all other previous releases.
An orange-fronted parakeet on Tuhua from a previous translocation
A grateful thanks must go to all those who helped with another successful transfer of orange-fronted parakeet completed. 83 orange-fronted parakeets have now been released onto Tuhua, over 8 releases since December 2009.
