Media Releases

The Hawdon Valley received a boost in numbers with the release of mohua, a bright yellow native bird with their beautiful song. On Saturday the 28th October 2017, 20 mohua were caught at Creswick Flat in the Landsborough Valley by a team of volunteers and ornithologists from the Department of Conservation and the Mohua Charitable Trust.

The birds were transported safely to the Hawdon Valley, Arthur’s Pass National Park, all the birds flew out of the boxes with no deaths. A huge thank you to the team for all their passion and hard work.

The trust would like to acknowledge and thank the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board for their support of this important project. A special thank you to the Department of Conservation staff and volunteers for their enthusiasm, passion and hard work making this project the success it is.

This translocation was recommended by Marion Rhodes in her recent Hawdon Mohua Monitoring, 2016/2017 Report.

The increases in Mohua have been for the populations in the Hawdon Valley and the South Branch Hurunui and good nesting has occurred in both valleys. Here are some quotes from the report.

"The winter of 2016 seems to have been particularly good for juvenile survivorship, both in the Hawdon and in the South Branch Hurunui. An increase in the population from 16 adults to 25 adults took two years in the South Branch (2010 – 2012), but happened over the course of a single season here {Hawdon Valley}." (Hawdon Mohua Monitoring, 2016/2017, Marion Rhodes)

"While it is pleasing to see the Hawdon mohua population increasing in number under its own steam, I strongly suggest we look at doing further translocations to this valley. The population is still so small that a difficult winter could make a significant dent in numbers." (Hawdon Mohua Monitoring, 2016/2017, Marion Rhodes)

download . . . More Mohua for the Hawdon (pdf)

The Eglinton Valley has become much sweeter with mohua birdsong after 100 mohua were released at Kiosk Creek on Friday 6th October 2017. The mohua, which were translocated from Anchor Island, will join a population that's been increasing in the valley since intensive predator control was introduced in 2009.

This was the fourth mohua translocation in the area in 7 years in a joint effort by the department of Conservation, the Mohua Charitable Trust and with support from Ngāi Tahu.

download . . . Melodic mohua on the move (pdf)

Great news from a recent population survey - The increases in Mohua have been for the populations in the Hawdon Valley and the South Branch Hurunui and good nesting has occurred in both valleys. Here are some quotes from the reports.

"It was very encouraging to find so many birds in the South Branch this season. Not only was it the highest number of mohua recorded in the valley since before the first translocation in 2008, but it was the fastest rate of increase I have seen in the years since I started monitoring the South Branch population in 2010/11. Usually there is a very high over-winter mortality of juveniles, but this past winter was remarkably good for juvenile survivorship both here and in the Hawdon. It was also good to see a relatively even sex ratio, with what appeared to be 20 potential breeding pairs from 45 birds." quoted by Marion Rhodes in her report - Mohua Monitoring, South Branch Hurunui, 2016/2017. Great news - thanks Marion.

“The winter of 2016 seems to have been particularly good for juvenile survivorship, both in the Hawdon and in the South Branch Hurunui. An increase in the population from 16 adults to 25 adults took two years in the South Branch (2010 – 2012), but happened over the course of a single season here {Hawdon Valley}.” (Hawdon Mohua Monitoring, 2016/2017, Marion Rhodes)

“While it is pleasing to see the Hawdon mohua population increasing in number under its own steam, I strongly suggest we look at doing further translocations to this valley. The population is still so small that a difficult winter could make a significant dent in numbers. “ (Hawdon Mohua Monitoring, 2016/2017, Marion Rhodes)

Well done team.
For further information and the reports:

download . . . South Branch Hurunui Report (pdf)

download . . . Hawdon Valley Report (pdf)

On the 21st and 22nd October 2016, 101 mohua were translocated from Anchor Island to the Eglinton Valley. A total of 101 mohua were caught on Anchor Island over two days. On the 21st of October, 71 mohua were caught and flown to Kiosk Creek in the Eglinton Valley where they were met by local staff and school children, iwi and released. On the 22nd October, a further 30 birds were caught and flown to Kisk Creek where they were released by the catching teams. At least 36 of the released mohua were sighted in the first few days following the release.

The Mohua Charitable Trust working in partnership with DOC and Ōraka Aparima Runanga are very pleased to announce a successful translocation of 80 birds transferred from Anchor Island in the Dusky Sound to Fiorland's Eglinton Valley. In 2010, 69 mohua were moved from Chalky Island to the Eglinton Valley in an effort to re-establish the species. Of these 34 birds stayed and settled in the valley, with 62 chicks fledging that year. Since then the population has remained relatively stable, with the survival of young birds staying high (74-81%).

Mohua Charitable Trust founder Nigel Babbage said that for Eglinton valley mohua numbers to increase further the population now needed to be supplemented. "The Mohua Charitable Trust sponsored the first mohua translocation to the Eglinton valley in 2010. We are thrilled to be following this in 2015 with a population top up."

Eighty mohua were successfully moved from Chalky Island to Coal Island in Preservation Inlet, Fiordland National Park this weekend. The translocation will establish a new mohua population, spreading the range of the bird's recovery on offshore pest free islands.

Led by the Coal Island Charitable Trust, in partnership with the Department of Conservation and the Mohua Charitable Trust (MCT), the translocation supports MCT's aim to re-establish mohua, and other native bird populations, to numbers once found in New Zealand.

MCT Trustee, Nigel Babbage said: "The Mohua Charitable Trust is proud to support this excellent community-led translocation. Through partnership with the Department of Conservation, The Coal Island Charitable Trust is achieving impressive and tangible, conservation outcomes."