Mystery of Manaia’s wayward weka deepens with second bird found

A second weka has been discovered in Manaia. Photo / Brooklands Zoo

The mystery of Manaia’s wayward weka has deepened with the capture of a second weka.

While weka are relatively common in the South Island, they’ve not been sighted in Taranaki for decades. Having two weka turn up in the township has the Department of Conservation staff worried that someone is illegally releasing the birds in the area.

Back in December local man Peter Andreoli caught a weka in the small town. A second weka was seen by Manaia local Jenny Oakley and their husband Guy on their farmlet in late March.

The pair volunteer at the predator-free sanctuary Rotokare Scenic Reserve and for the Taranaki Kiwi Trust so they understand that weka pose a risk to vulnerable wildlife, particularly on Taranaki Maunga.

“I thought there was only one weka and it had been caught. But Guy saw the rear end of a weka disappearing through the grass one day.”

Then Jenny heard a weka doing its cooee call down in a swampy area of their farm. Over a period of days, the couple played weka calls on Jenny’s phone and the bird would reply.

But catching the wayward weka was not so easy, Jenny says.

“I talked to DoC and set up a live-catch possum cage with cat nuts and a bit of meat in it, but it [the weka] was pinching the food from between the bars without entering the trap.”

Jenny wasn’t prepared to quit her weka-capture efforts and altered her tactics based on DoC advice.

“A DoC ranger mentioned weka like going through dark tunnels, so I wrapped the trap up in black cloth.”

The first night Jenny and Guy caught a rat, and the second night they caught the weka.

“It was very healthy-looking and quite happy,” she says.

DoC took the weka to Brooklands Zoo and the Oakleys reset the trap, as there may be other weka. Both birds are being cared for off-display at Brooklands Zoo while further DNA tests are undertaken and a decision is made on where they will be rehomed.