Shore plover parents Roger and Rata, Kotahi Aviary, Cape Sanctuary. Photo / John Cowpland.
Shore plover parents Roger and Rata, Kotahi Aviary, Cape Sanctuary. Photo / John Cowpland.
A million dollar cargo is set to be placed on a remote Hawke's Bay island, but wannabe pirates won't find a treasure chest of gold - just five little birds.
Cape Sanctuary's Kotahi Aviary has successfully bred five critically endangered shore plover (tūturuatu) which are ready for release on toWaikawa Island, near Mahia.
Cape Sanctuary founder Andy Lowe said the hatching and rearing of these birds - which weigh just 60g each - has cost a total of $1 million, or the equivalent of $3.3m per kilogram.
"They are worth it because do you want your grandkids to see these birds?" he said.
"If we don't do something and without human intervention they'll become extinct. It's really about saving them for future generations."
On Tuesday there was a ceremony and blessing at the Kotahi Aviary, near Ocean Beach, for the release of the juvenile shorebirds named Manu, Wairua, Pavlova, Sven and Goldstein.
Shore Plover release ceremony, blessing and karakia with local Iwi, Hastings Boys High School and Hastings Intermediate School, Kotahi Aviary. Photo / John Cowpland
The Kotahi Aviary, established in 2018 is a long-term partnership with the Department of Conservation, Cape Sanctuary and Kotahi (supply chain collaboration company) and is one of three shore plover breeding facilities in New Zealand.
There are only 250 of the birds left in the wild; they are small and stocky, and mostly mid-brown and white in colour.
Lowe said without Kotahi, DoC, volunteers and iwi being involved the project wouldn't have survived as it's "just too expensive".
This is the first release of shore plover for the sanctuary.
General manager Rachel Ward said they've done a lot of translocations in the past with animals coming into the sanctuary but never the other way round.
"With any captive breeding release programme you know you've succeeded if you're breeding birds," she said.
"This is a big milestone for us."
Andy Lowe, David Ross, Jenny Nelson-Smith and Rachel Ward outside Kotahi Avery, Cape Sanctuary. Photo / John Cowpland
Major sponsor Kotahi chief executive David Ross said it made sense for his company to help these birds fight extinction.
"Andy came to me and said 'you're involved in land to shore, we've got these shorebirds' and it's just absolutely the right fit – if we're going to put effort into something it should be these birds," he said.
The birds will be released under a strict release procedure by DoC on April 8, they were supposed to be released on March 30 but the weather was not suitable.
Ward said there were already 82 shore plover on the pest-free island of Waikawa.
The general manager said she is very proud of all the volunteers who have helped to rear and look after the birds that have been at the aviary, which currently holds 16 tūturuatu.
"They have worked through a crazy season this year with little outbreaks of disease and all sorts of things. The volunteer base has been incredible," she said.
Cape Sanctuary resident birds Roger and Rata are the parents to all five chicks set to be released.
All the chicks are male.
There are only 250 shore plover left in the wild. Photo / John Cowpland
The Hawke's Bay sanctuary so far has introduced 23 species, all of which were extinct to the area.
Lowe said they've also found a new species – the Hawke's Bay skink.
"Without vermin control they would've been hanging on for dear life, now they're in a 500m protected area," he said.
Lowe added a big part of continuing the growth of the sanctuary and conservation project was through education.
"This would be one of the few places where iwi, land owners, DoC, volunteers and sponsors work together for a common cause to save these species," he said.
