A population of kākāriki karaka - a species that was twice declared extinct and then rediscovered - has been successfully reintroduced to Canterbury's Hawdon Valley. File photo Photo: Sean McGrath
A rare and critically endangered parakeet population has been re-established at a forest valley in the South Island, with the birds already breeding.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) said 19 kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet) were released into Hawdon Valley in Arthur's Pass National Park at the weekend.
A total of 73 birds have been released into the valley across four releases since November 2022.
The releases are part of a species recovery programme led by DOC and Ngāi Tahu.
The birds were bred at the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust, Orana Wildlife Park, and Auckland Zoo.
The Hawdon Valley is in the rohe of Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga, who hold mana whenua over the area.
There are an estimated 360 of the birds left in the wild after the species was twice declared extinct and then rediscovered.
DOC's kākāriki karaka operations manager Wayne Beggs said the birds were previously found in Hawdon Valley, but the population had declined due to predation.
Department staff were unable to detect any karaka during monitoring efforts over the past two years.
"The field team were delighted to find chicks in a nest in March, the first time kākāriki karaka chicks have been found in the Hawdon since 2015," Beggs said.
"Because they nest and roost in tree holes, kākāriki karaka are particularly vulnerable to predators like rats and stoats. As they are only found in a few sites, establishing new wild populations is crucial for the species' recovery."
The birds had already begun breeding, he added.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu kākāriki karaka species recovery representative Yvette Couch-Lewis said the Hawdon Valley was again becoming "a safe haven for the critically endangered manu".
"When we arrived on site for the latest release the air was already filled with the waiata of kākāriki karaka welcoming their extended whānau to the forest - haere mai.
"These manu have been bred in captivity and do not know the wild.
"But taking to the skies for the first time, they can stretch their wings and soak in the new smells and sounds of their new home, while feeling reassured that other kākāriki karaka are nearby."
A larger population would help secure the future of kākāriki karaka in the Hawdon Valley, and the coming breeding season would strengthen their whakapapa lines, Couch-Lewis said.