Bird return boosts eastern islands

"Bugman" Ruud Kleinpaste explains the importance of conservation to Russell schoolchildren. Photo / Peter de Graaf

An ambitious plan to restore the flora and fauna of the eastern Bay of Islands took another leap forward on Saturday with the release of 40 popokotea (whiteheads), a gregarious, noisy little bird absent from Northland for more than a century, and 40 tieke (saddlebacks), a rare black-and-orange bird about the size of a tui.

Lynette-Jovan Te Tai of Russell releases the first of the popokotea (whiteheads). Photo / Peter de Graaf

Project Island Song co-ordinator Richard Robbins, left, with MPs Peeni Henare and Winston Peters. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The birds were caught on Tiritiri Matangi in the Hauraki Gulf and transported to their new homes - Motuarohia Island for the popokotea, Moturua and Urupukapuka for the tieke - by helicopter. Waiting to welcome them were conservation workers, volunteers, schoolchildren, hapu members, three Members of Parliament and a couple of TV stars.

DoC rangers Ana Mules and Andrew Blanshard carry boxes - each containing five popokotea from the chopper. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Northland MP Winston Peters carries a box of popokotea to the release site. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The release was part of Project Island Song, which is a combined effort by community group Guardians of the Bay of Islands, Rawhiti hapu, the Department of Conservation, and island land owners.