Kokako hear home songs

Recorded birdsongs are being used to try to re-establish an endangered bird in the Waitakere Ranges.

A pair of kokako are being moved from the Pureora Forest after intensive pest control efforts by the Ark in the Park project.

They would be the first kokako in the Waitakeres in more than 60 years.

The birds protected their territories of about 8ha by singing and chasing away invaders, Ark in the Park chairman John Sumich said.

"Kokako from different areas have different dialects, so it's important to give them a feeling of familiarity by broadcasting their song at certain points in the forest," he said.

"Speakers will play songs from the two populations used for the Ark in the Park transfer, and we will monitor the behaviour and dispersal of the birds in relation to this."

The technique had been used successfully in the past, Mr Sumich said.

About 750 pairs of the blue-wattled kokako remained in the North Island

Kokako were already present in the Hunua Ranges, southeast of Auckland City.

- NZPA