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The forests of the Hūnua Ranges are echoing louder than ever, with a surge of young kōkako turning this past breeding season into a full-blown baby boom.
Survey teams have observed larger groups of younger birds eager to learn the ropes, ranger Miranda Bennett confirms.
“They follow the adult birds, watch what they’re doing and occasionally seem to test their patience,” she says. “Seeing so many young birds throughout the forest is exactly what we want. It tells us breeding has been successful over multiple seasons and that these youngsters are surviving long enough to join the breeding population themselves.”
Decades of pest control and habitat protection have brought this native bird back from the brink of extinction.
Auckland Council’s latest kōkako census has recorded 418 breeding pairs across the ranges, a 61 per cent increase since the last census in 2022. It cements Hūnua as the largest single mainland population of North Island kōkako.
When the birds are doing well, so does their habitat.
“Kōkako are one of our best indicators of forest health,” says Bennett. “When they are thriving, many other native birds, insects and wildlife are benefiting too. This result reflects decades of dedication from staff, volunteers, contractors and partners controlling pests and protecting habitat to give these birds a fighting chance.”
Researchers have estimated that 500 kōkako lived in the ranges in the 1950s, but by the late 1960s numbers had crashed down to approximately 50 birds. In 1994, only 25 birds remained, including just one confirmed breeding pair.
The record number of young kōkako shows what sustained investment in conservation can achieve, especially when backed by contributions from ratepayers, Auckland councillor Richard Hills explains.
“Every Aucklander contributes through their Natural Environment Targeted Rate. It’s fantastic to see native species not only recovering but expanding across the region,” he says.
“The [council’s] governing body has endorsed a plan to restore our natural environment and position Auckland as a world-leading ‘nature positive’ city’. These kōkako numbers show we’re on the right track and exactly what’s possible when communities, mana whenua, conservation groups and councils work together for nature.”
