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Native birds are making a comeback on the Hibiscus Coast, and it’s thanks to the efforts of people like Andrew Bassett.
Andrew has always lived on the Coast and is now Forest & Bird’s Pest Free Hibiscus Coast Backyard Trapping Coordinator. He says he has noticed a steady increase in birdlife over the years.
“Growing up, I would be lucky to hear or see one ruru/morepork every few months, even while living next to Eaves’ Bush. Now, I hear them calling most nights,” he says.
The measured increase in birdlife is due to the efforts of local trappers, the advantage of Whangaparāoa being a defendable peninsula with logical pinch points, and birds spreading out from sanctuaries at Shakespear and Tiritiri Matangi, Pest Free Hibiscus Coast project manager Jenny Hanwell says.
The perceived growth is backed up by annual Forest & Bird counts.
“Over the past 12 years, we’ve seen a significant increase in tūī and riroriro/grey warbler. Not only that, but I’ve seen kākā in Ōrewa. That was pretty special,” Andrew says.
He says his understanding of local wildlife has deepened through his involvement in trapping.
“I used to think birds just flitted around regardless of people. Learning how many eggs, chicks, and even nesting parents are killed by rats, I now see that we can have rats or birds, but we can’t have both. If we aren’t looking, aren’t trapping, the pests are certainly winning. Now when a family catches a rat, it’s not just for them, but for the pīwakawaka/fantail babies the next garden over.”
Jenny, says the team is confident that maintaining the current pest-suppression approach, with more traps and bait stations and stronger community involvement, will lead to better outcomes for native species on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula. It’s already paying off with renewed sightings of native species.
“We’re seeing birds like pōpokotea/whitehead outside Shakespear now, which, prior to their reintroduction there, haven’t been seen in mainland Auckland for 100 years!” Andrew says.
“Kākā are becoming familiar visitors – curious, boisterous, unique. They’re commuters for now, but our goal is to make them the “kea of the coast”. We have a rare chance to bring the beauty and music of old New Zealand, right into our backyards.”
Coasties can photograph and share their bird encounters on local social media pages, including the Pest Free Hibiscus Coast Community Facebook group, borrow a trap for their backyard, or join the project on iNaturalist.
Contact a.bassett@forestandbird.org.nz to get involved.
