On May 21st, five North Island kākā took flight into the forest on Maungatautari, following weeks of care in our purpose-built aviary. These special manu—four captive-bred and one rehabilitated local—are the latest to join our kākā whānau.
We were delighted to open the release doorway for 5 North Island kākā this week on the 21st May, after having these special manu in our purpose-built aviaries for 5 weeks. Four of these birds were captive bred at Hamilton Zoo as part of the NI kākā breeding programme, and the fifth bird was a local one that was found with a head injury and has since made a full recovery. The birds have been cared for by a dedicated team of volunteers and staff, who have provided them with an abundance of food and native browse to nibble and destroy. The cheeky local kākā love to check out the new birds, and one was seen being fed a blueberry from a captive bird through the aviary mesh! Kākā are a very social species and welcoming of new birds, so we hope to see these new recruits coming back regularly. We will continue to feed them and keep the aviary open for the birds to support them while they learn to forage and adapt to their newfound freedom.
Photo credit: Lucy Schultz Photography