A rare kākā sighting in Northcote is a “blessing” which speaks to the value of native wildlife restoration in the area.
Kaipātiki Project Restoration activator Neil Henderson says the visit of the bird was especially exciting as it was the first recorded sighting in the area - near the Jessie Tonar Scout Reserve - for 30 years.
The native parrot, which is a threatened species in New Zealand, was seen eating the fruit of a large palm tree.
“It is always special to see a kākā turn up in urban Auckland. They are a magnificent, colourful parrot and they can be quite vocal,” Henderson says.
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“To have one turn up in the garden is really a blessing and, along with the large kererū, they are wonderful ambassadors and help people understand the value of animal predator trapping, as well as the value of protecting our indigenous forest remnants.”
While rare to see kākā in urban Auckland, Henderson says sightings have been increasing over the past 10 years.
He says the kākā visit was a testament to the significant ecological restoration work in the reserve, part of the Awataha Greenway Project in the Northcote Development.
The project is a collaboration between Panuku Development Auckland, Kāinga Ora, Kaipātiki Local Board, Healthy Waters, Kaipātiki Project, Pest Free Kaipātiki, Mana Whenua, local schools, and the Northcote community.
The regenerative work, which began in March last year, includes removing invasive and exotic weeds, planting native species, restoring and daylighting the Awataha Stream, and trapping pests.
“There are a variety of restoration groups operating in and around the Northcote area,” Henderson says.
“The activities of all of them, be it animal pest trapping or weed removal and replanting of natives, contributes to increasing the presence of our indigenous wildlife.”
As a result native wildlife in the reserve has been increasing and Henderson says birds like kererū, kōtare (kingfisher) and tūī that used to visit occasionally are now “regulars” in the neighbourhood while Banded kōkopu, a native fish, have also been seen in the Awataha Stream.
While regenerating native wildlife is itself valuable, Henderson says it also results in beautiful neighbourhoods for people to live in.
“As many people will have recently rediscovered during the walks they took in their local areas during the weeks of lockdown, there is much to be seen and experienced,” Henderson says. “People have begun to look at nature in their own backyards with fresh eyes.”
The Awataha Greenway will eventually form a network of parks, public spaces and quiet streets to provide a safe and healthy environment for people to experience their backyards - and New Zealand’s native wildlife - in a more meaningful way.
Returning wildlife in Northcote provides a glimpse of what urban Auckland could look like in the future.
“We are still in early days but there are opportunities for increasing numbers of birds to become more frequent,” Henderson says. “We will achieve some striking sights.”
He also sees a future where native bats re-inhabit urban reserves and native fish and eels re-populate streams.
The increasing numbers of kaka in Auckland are a result of protection measures on offshore islands, like Waiheke and Little Barrier. This increases the baseline regional population, as well as the availability of food on the mainland, particularly during winter.
Meanwhile, Henderson says Pest Free Kaipātiki recently secured funding to create artificial kākā nesting boxes across the Kaipātiki Local Board area.
Usually kākā nest about five metres above the ground in holes they have excavated in large, dead native trees.
While there are some large remnant natives in the Kaipātiki area, Henderson says a pine forest near the Birkdale Cemetery, just over the hill from Northcote, has been identified as a potential artificial nesting site.
If successful, it might establish a resident group of urban-dwelling kaka.
- This content was supplied by Kāinga Ora
