Callaeas cinerea (South Island Kokako)

[sebbe67]

South Island kokako

It has not been sighted for 33 years and is considered extinct. An extensive final search in 2000, in eight remote areas accessable only by boat and helicopter, from Nelson Lakes to Stewart Island was unsuccessful.

[Deleted]

Hi !

I know of a specimen in a very small museum (only one room) in 'Zwinger' in Dresden. Unfortunally (and I could kill myself for that) I have not taken a photograph as I were there.

Bye Alex

[Melanie]

South Island kokako may soon become officially extinct The Department of Conservation has changed its status from "nationally critical" to "extinct" in its recent draft of the triennial review of the status of New Zealand's wildlife. Rod Hitchmough, species protection officer at Doc's biodiversity recovery unit has said that it has not been seen since the 1960s although a feather was found on Stewart Island in 1987. It is possible it may survive in low numbers in remote parts of the South Island and Stewart Island. Rhys Buckingham (a well-known New Zealand ornithologist) and others have not given up their passionate and almost life-long search to find the South Island Kokako, distinguished by its bright orange wattles.

The Glaucopis cinerea, or Crow, of the Middle Island, is rarely found below an altitude of two or three thousand feet, and indeed, is found in greatest numbers at and above the higher of these altitudes, in the glens of the Fagus forest.

I am inclined to think these birds pair for life, as they are almost invariably found in couples at all seasons of the year. They are extremely active , hopping with long strides along the ground, and from branch to branch, in their search for insects. Their chief food, however, consists of sow-thistle and other succulent herbs, and it is remarkable that, in eating such substances, they hold them with the fist precisely as a parrot holds its food, tearing off and swallowing large fragments.

The note of this bird is wonderfully sweet and plaintive, and, during the breeding season, its song is one of the most varied and beautiful of all New Zealand's birds. It appears, however, always to be pitched in a minor key. The male birds are very pugnacious, fighting, whenever they meet, with the greatest determination. They are still numerous in the forests adjoining the station, but I fear wild cats are likely to clear them out within a few years.

Reference: Notes on the habits of some of the birds of New Zealand, by W.T.L. Travers, F.L.S., Transactions of the NZ Institute, Volume,IV, 1871. The notes were "chiefly compiled from observations made during periodical visits to my cattle station at Lake Guyon, in the Nelson Province.... Lake Guyon occupies a depression in a mountain ridge lying between valleys of the Waiau-ua, and of its tributary the Stanley, and has been formed by a deposit of a large moraine at the end of the depression furthest from the valley of the Waiau, which dams in the waters flowing through this depression. These waters, which formerly ran into the Stanley, now flow out of the lake over a rocky barrier on the Waiau side, considerably lower than the moraine at the other end. Although situated at an altitude of 3000 feet above sea level, this lake is never frozen over, and, even during the severest winters, its waters preserve a remarkable degree of warmth."
Other names: orange wattled crow, cinerous wattled bird

[another specialist]

the information above is from this source

www.nzbirds.com/KokakoSouthIsland.html

[another specialist]

Recent Reports of South Island Kokako
(1) Glenroy River

A presumed Kokako with pale-coloured wattles was seen shortly after it responded vocally to playback of recorded North Island Kokako juvenile song at Glenroy River terrace, in November 1996. The bird was seen in tall beech forest, in an area where large quantities of moss had been recently disturbed on fallen trees and the forest floor. A focussed search for Kokako using automatic camera surveillance gear was carried out in November-December 1997, as a result of funding by World Wide Fund for Nature New Zealand. During that survey and more recently, calls believed to be that of Kokako have been heard by several observers. The most recent report of calls being heard there was in January 2000. Extensive fresh moss disturbance was also recorded in the area where the calls were heard then.

(2) Tutoko Valley

In January 2000, a call believed almost certainly to be from a Kokako was heard in the Tutuko Valley, about 1 km from the Milford Sound road. The observer, Fraser Maddigan, has worked with North Island Kokako for DoC, Rotorua, and is familiar with New Zealand birdcalls. Sign of Kokako (calls, response to playback, and ‘wing-braking’) was recorded at this general location (but nowhere else in the valley) by the ‘Kokako 2000’ team in December 2000.

(3) Brown Cow Ridge

A call resembling that of a Kokako was heard by Janice Lord on Brown Cow Ridge between Aorere River and Boulder Lake in Kahurangi National Park in November 1999. Several other reliable reports of Kokako are known from this area. A short investigation of this recent report was undertaken in late November 1999, but no positive sign of Kokako was found. Mike North led a small party to the location in November 2000, but again without success.

(4) Oparara River

Presumed Kokako were heard to respond to tape calls at different localities in the Oparara Valley (Kahurangi National Park) in May 1997. The unidentified birds (estimated five individuals) responded to North Island Kokako juvenile calls and calls recorded in June 1985 from a putative Kokako at Rocky River (near the Brown Cow Ridge report locality). The response calls were notably loud organ-like or very hollow calls. The survey area comprises diverse forest ecosystems where relatively high numbers of birds are present. More recent surveys in the area as part of ‘Kokako 2000’ were not successful, though two areas of interest (possible vocal response to call playback) were identified in October 2000.

(5) South Westland

Several recent reports of Kokako are known from South Westland. These areas include Lake Ellery (February 1999), Okuru River (February 1998; February 1999), Gorge River (March 1996), and Waiatoto River (1983). Gorge River was selected as a focal area on the basis of recent reports, habitat, and relatively low numbers of possums in the area. By chance, during ‘Kokako 2000’, a confidential report of Kokako in the Haast, Lake Moeraki area was received, and presumed sign of Kokako was found on a preliminary investigation.

(6) Buller/north Westland

Several recent reports (from 1994) of South Island Kokako are known from the Grey Valley/Inangahua valley area. These reports have been investigated by Rhys Buckingham on behalf of Timberlands West Coast Limited, by the Department of Conservation, and by Ron Nilsson. The most persistent reports have come from Granville State Forest near Ikamatua. This was considered to be the most promising focal area from the results of ‘Kokako 2000’.

(7) Hurunui River

Several reports of unidentified birds (sightings and calls) and unusual moss grubbing sign have been reported in the South Branch of the Hurunui River by DoC staff. ‘Kokako 2000’ established that the moss grubbing sign referred to was of the characteristic type we believe to be associated with Kokako. The locations where this sign was found in November 2000 matched the locations where Kokako-like sightings and calls had been reported.

(8) Southern Stewart Island

Sign of presumed South Island Kokako was found after investigating a reliable report of Kokako at Jackson River/Tupari Bay in December 1995–January 1996. This sign consisted of calls and wing-flapping, one furtive bird spooked, and fresh moss grubbing sign. The original reports were from Robin Campbell who described in detail sightings of Kokako in the late 1970s to early 1980s. ‘Kokako 2000’ found that the three distinct areas of moss grubbing sign found in 1995/96 still showed relatively fresh activity (months rather than years) in November 2000. Furthermore, an extensive call playback transect survey in 2000 resulted in only two areas where putative Kokako responded to playback. These areas coincided with areas where the moss grubbing had been found.

(9) Howard Saddle

Several South Island Kokako reports including putative sightings, calls and moss grubbing sign are known from the Howard Saddle area in Nelson Lakes National Park. The most recent of these reports was apparently received by DoC St Arnaud in 1999. John Kendrick and Rhys Buckingham found presumed sign of Kokako on Howard Saddle in May 1996, but no sign was found on a recent investigation in July 2000.

www.nznature.co.nz/nwatch1.htm

[another specialist]

The Search for the South Island Kokako
- Kokako 2000 Project
The South Island Kokako of New Zealand has been 'missing in action' for more than 30 years. If successful, the 'Kokako 2000' campaign will confirm the continued existence of the South Island Kokako, a New Zealand bird that has not been officially recorded since the 1960s.

The search for the South Island Kokako will be led by nationally-recognised wildlife ecologist Rhys Buckingham, and is being jointly funded by Nelson mail-order company, Maruia Nature Catalogue, and environmental lobby group, Ecologic Foundation.

Christchurch outdoor clothing manufacturer Earth Sea Sky and the Department of Conservation are providing logistic support, and private donations have also been received (see order form for donations).

The South Island Kokako was once one of New Zealand's most distinctive songbirds, with a call that has variously been described as haunting and unforgettable. It is distinct sub-species from the North Island Kokako, which is being actively managed by the Department of Conservation to ensure its recovery.

Persistent reports of unusual calls, occasional sightings and the discovery of feathers have all contributed to the belief that the bird survives in remote areas of the South Island or southern Stewart Island. However, any remaining birds could now be only ageing males living in isolated populations, as females are more prone to predation from stoats and possums.

www.nznature.co.nz/nwatch2.htm

New Search for Missing Bird
...continued

"This year's Kokako 2000 campaign will be the first concerted search since 1996 and has the funding and commitment to provide new information on this elusive species," said Buckingham.

The campaign will begin in Kahurangi National Park in October and proceed through parts of Nelson Lakes, Canterbury, Buller, Westland and Fiordland until January.

The searches will be conducted by small teams of field workers, traversing forested areas on foot with video and audio recording equipment. Success will come through either photographic evidence or the discovery of a feather that can be linked to the species by genetic analysis.

"While this sounds straightforward, we know the Kokako is an elusive bird that calls only occasionally and appears to deliberately hide when disturbed," said Buckingham. "Locating the few isolated birds that may remain is becoming progressively harder."

Managing director of the Maruia Nature Catalogue, Ben Van Dyke, said his company had decided to sponsor the search out of a shared environmental concern for the species. "We cannot let this New Zealand bird slip quietly into extinction while New Zealanders stand by doing nothing," he said. "The fate of the South Island Kokako is in the hands of the community, and we want to do our bit to ensure it has a future in the new millennium."

www.nznature.co.nz/nwatch3.htm

New Search for Missing Bird
...continued

Executive Director of the Ecologic Foundation, Guy Salmon, said the quest for the South Island Kokako was a touchstone for New Zealand's environmental commitment.

"The sad tale of the South Island Kokako mirrors the larger fate of the South Island's beech forests," he said.

"Both these magnificent forests and their native biodiversity face an eventual demise in the face of introduced predators such as possums and stoats, unless we embrace intensive pest control."

"The Kokako 2000 campaign illustrates precisely why we should care for our ecological future, and we hope will stand as a rallying point for a larger environmental commitment."

Managing Director of Earth Sea Sky, David Ellis, said his company was supplying the searchers with a video camera and clothing as a mark of faith in Buckingham and his team. "We see it as a vote of confidence in the campaign, and hope we can contribute positively to the possible rediscovery of this species."

New Zealanders will be able to follow progress in the search by accessing regular updates on this web site.

www.nznature.co.nz/nwatch4.htm

[sebbe67]

much info here, also a photo on a museum specimen of the extinct, nominate race.

ip30.eti.uva.nl/zma3d/detail.php?id=438&sort=taxon&type=family

[another specialist]

Endangered A bird of native hardwood forest of New Zealand, separable in two subspecies, ssp. wilsoni on North Island, with all-blue wattles and an ash-grey border to its mask, and nominate cinerea of South and Stewart Is., with blue-based orange wattles and without a contrastingly pale fringe along the mask. Ssp. wilsoni survives in scattered patches of mature native forest on North Island, but nominate cinerea is extinct: it was last seen in 1967. Of wilsoni, some 400 pairs and a large number of unpaired males remain, mostly within a few well-managed conservation areas of high plant diversity where predators are kept under control; the birds still living outside these areas dwindle rapidly in number. The strong decrease on North Island and the extinction on South Island were largely due to the cutting or degrading of the native forests, to introduced goats and deer destroying food plants in the undergrowth, and to the introduction of predators like rats, stoats, cats, and possums Trichosurus vulpecula.

Items in the ZMA - 2 birds:
ZMA 6594 Unsexed adult, no data, donated by Dr J. Kipp (Zool. Lab. Univ. Utrecht) on 1 Mar 1948, formerly mounted.

ZMA 6595 Adult male, undated [1840-1866], 'New Zealand', bought from G.A. Frank (Amsterdam), skin.

Remarks
Both birds are of the extinct nominate cinerea.

source from last entry sebbe67

[sebbe67]

Both subspecies of kokako were once common on all ranges of mature podocarp-hardwood forests throughout New Zealand. In the early 1900s, South Island kokako were widespread throughout the South Island and Stewart Island.

It has not been sighted for 33 years and is considered extinct. An extensive final search in 2000, in eight remote areas accessable only by boat and helicopter, from Nelson Lakes to Stewart Island was unsuccessful.

The two subspecies are almost identical in appearance. The South Island kokako has brightly coloured yellow or orange "wattles" on both sides of its gape that meet below the neck.

[another specialist]

source for the above

www.terranature.org/kokako.htm

[Peter]

Fresh signs of long-lost kokako

TUESDAY , 28 MARCH 2006

For the veteran searchers seeking signs of the long-lost South Island kokako, a valley east of Puysegur Point in Fiordland National Park sounds like a breakthrough.

The bird was believed extinct in the 1960s, a tuneful victim of predators and loss of habitat.

But the South Island Kokako Investigation Team has kept compiling reports of the grey bird with orange wattles at each side of the beak.

And now an off-shoot of January's hunt for more kakapo in Fiordland has led to hopes that the team has a new valley to check in detail, with a community of the supposedly extinct kokako living there.

For Christchurch researcher Ron Nilsson, the breakthrough has come after more than 20 years of collating reports and checking regions in Nelson, the West Coast, Fiordland and Stewart Island.

He went to the other valley, on the South Island's south coast, when the search for more kakapo had ended without success.

A team was dropped in by helicopter to check out reports they heard from a geologist remapping the geology of Fiordland. The map maker had provided grid references.

"We landed at 1pm and by 2pm we had heard the first of the calls," said Mr Nilsson. The calls kept coming in sequences of about five, and up to 10. They heard at least 50 calls in the first afternoon.

Some recordings were made and better gear was set up next day, but it proved to be the hottest day of the summer in Fiordland and the forest went silent.

Mr Nilsson believes the concentration of calls in such a confined area indicates a possible viable breeding population. The abundance of calls indicates the birds are actively calling to mates and marking out territories.

In recent years, searches for the South Island kokako have been in Granville State Forest in the West Coast's Grey Valley and further north in the Paparoa Range near Charleston.

"In those places there may be one or two birds in 5000ha of forest. This one is different. I think there is a small group of birds there. You have got a sense that it's very important."

The group was in the area for just over a day, but accomplished a lot in that time. Now the pressure is on to convince the Department of Conservation – or a sponsor if necessary – that an urgent return visit is necessary with more time on the ground.

There has been a tussock mast and a beech mast – a year when those plants produce much more seed than normal. That will bring a rise in the number of mice, and then an increase in the predators that feed on the mice.

When the mice run short as a food source, the predators – rats and stoats – may start eating native birds and the fragile group of kokako may be vulnerable.

The concentrated activity near the landing site meant the second grid reference point nearby had not yet been checked.

"These were very encouraging signs," said Mr Nilsson.

Source: New Zealand news on Stuff.co.nz: Fresh signs of long-lost kokako

[sebbe67]

Hopes that they will find a population hidden in some valley, that would be great.

[sebbe67]

collections.tepapa.govt.nz/welcome.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fobjectsearch.aspx (found by adzebill)

[Melanie]

South Island kokako declared extinct
By KENT ATKINSON - NZPA | Tuesday, 16 January 2007

Conservation officials today formally declared the South Island kokako extinct, saying there had been no confirmed sightings for 40 years.


Rod Hitchmough, a scientific officer at the Department of Conservation (DOC) told a press briefing in Wellington that the kokako decision had attracted controversy.

"But the definition of extinct is that we are absolutely certain the last individual has died," said Mr Hitchmough, who compiled DOC's latest lists of threatened species, including six native insects and snails also declared extinct.

"It was last seen on the South Island in 1967," he said.

There had been further reports on Stewart Island in 1987 and other more recent sightings, but these had not been corroborated.

A panel of bird experts which drew up the previous list of the threat status of native animals and plants in 2002 had not been able to decide with certainty whether it had died out.

"There have been more recent sightings recorded but they have been less well-documented," Mr Hitchmough said.

"Now, given there have been no further convincing records, the panel decided to bite the bullet and list it as extinct.

"But it was probably extinct years ago".

Less than a year ago, veteran searchers seeking signs of the kokako unsuccessfully searched a valley east of Puysegur Point in Fiordland National Park for signs of the grey bird with orange wattles at each side of the beak.

That South Island kokako investigation team included Christchurch researcher Ron Nilsson, who has spent 20 years searching remote valleys in Nelson, Westland, Fiordland and Stewart Island.

Other searches have been made in Granville State Forest in the West Coast's Grey Valley and further north in the Paparoa Range near Charleston.

Conservation Minister Chris Carter told the Wellington briefing that the new threatened species list updated the "threat classification" status of 5819 of New Zealand's native plants and animals, and 44 had been given a change in status.

Almost half of those were listed in one of the seven threatened categories, and the rest required further research to determine if these were threatened or not.

"Some have improved, like the crested grebe and black petrel, others, such as the grey duck and riflemen are more endangered," Mr Carter said. "It's a wake-up call for us, as a country".

"Human-induced threats and the introduction of predators and pests continue to plague our native species," he said.

"The species that make up our country – the unique bird, reptile, plant and insect species that are endemic to these islands of ours – are what helps to make us New Zealanders, give us a unique place in the world and give us our identity," said Mr Carter.

Settlement of New Zealand by Maori and Europeans had made an incredible impact on the nation's biodiversity, Mr Carter said.

The total number of threatened species reported in the new list rose by 416 to 2788 – in many cases because new information had become available since the lists were last reviewed in 2002.

Another 984 species have been listed as "data deficient".

He said the list would be used to prioritise management of threatened species.

The battle to retain biodiversity was not only about resources – for which conservation had to compete with spending on areas such as health and education – but was also dependent on expertise in developing management plans and providing the science for managing threatened species.

[Melanie]

Ornithologist will still search for 'extinct' kokako

Posted at 9:07pm on 17 Jan 2007

A Christchurch ornithologist says the listing of the South Island kokako as extinct will not stop him and his team searching for the bird.

The Department of Conservation says more than 400 species have been added to the threatened list with seven now declared extinct, including the bird.

But Ron Nilsson told Summer Report the kokako is a very secretive bird, that does not just come out and stand on a branch to be photographed.

He says he has heard the birds dozens of times over the years and just because someone says they are extinct, is no reason to stop looking for them.
List revised

DoC on Tuesday announced a revised list of endangered species following a review of the New Zealand Threat Classification System Lists.

The number of threatened species in New Zealand has risen by 416 to 2,788. Twenty-three new species are known to be critical, an extra 32 are endangered, and 10 new species are listed as vulnerable.

Also declared extinct are six other species of invertebrates, insects and snails, many of which have not been seen for decades.

[sebbe67]

Extinct? Which one?

In less detailed media reports you may hear today or over the weekend, the New Zealand Ko¯kako has been declared extinct. Sad news indeed, but let’s be specific. It is not an entire species that is being declared extinct. Once again, also, there are hints that this may be another subspecies, despite recent sightings, which is being declared extinct too early.

The one with the orange wattles is allegedly gone. But is it? Is the Ko¯kako the New Zealand version of the ivory-billed woodpecker?

The South Island Ko¯kako is the subspecies that is now being declared extinct. It was last seen on the South Island in 1967. There had been further reports on Stewart Island in 1987 and other more recent sightings, but these had not been corroborated, say the news reports. The Ko¯kako is being declared extinct, via a press release.

But the entire species is not extinct. The subspecies with the blue wattles is making a comeback.

Indeed, there are over 60 breeding pairs of the North Island Ko¯kako subspecies. There are fewer than 400 pairs left throughout their range, but they are increasing in numbers. "A census of the threatened Ko¯kako population in the Kaharoa Forest has revealed an increase from 12 breeding pairs to over 30 over the past eight years," mentioned a recent New Zealand news dispatch.

For your clarification of the media stories you will begin to see appear on this extinction news, here is an extraction from the Ko¯kako Wikipedia entry, to assist you with noting the differences between the two bird subspecies:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The Ko¯kako

The Ko¯kako (Callaeas cinerea) is a forest bird which is endemic to New Zealand. It is slate-grey with a black mask and wattles. It is one of three New Zealand wattlebirds, the other two being the endangered Tieke (saddleback) and the extinct Huia. Previously widespread, the birds were decimated by the introduction of non-native predators such as possums, stoats, cats, rats and mice. There were two sub-species of Ko¯kako, although one of these may now be extinct.
North Island Ko¯kako

The North Island Ko¯kako, Callaeas cinerea wilsoni, with blue wattles (although this color develops with age: in the young of this bird they are actually colored a light pink ) , is endangered, with less than 400 pairs in existence (September 2004). It survives in low numbers in several mainland native forests with the help of government-funded pest control programs, and captive breeding programs help maintain population numbers. New populations are being established through releases on predator-free offshore islands. As a result, conservationists are hopeful of the species’ long-term survival. As at 2005, the Ko¯kako has been sighted in Pureora Forest, Whirinaki Forest Park and the Te Urewera National Park. Recently, 20 Ko¯kako from Urewera were translocated to Ngapukeriki, a forest area under intensive predator control. Ko¯kako can be seen relatively easily on Tiritiri Matangi Island, where the regenerating forest is low enough to provide close views.
South Island Ko¯kako

The South Island Ko¯kako, Callaeas cinerea cinerea, with orange wattles, was formally declared extinct by the New Zealand Department of Conservation on 16 January 2007. A confirmed sighting has not occurred in several decades, though unconfirmed sightings are very occasionally reported, the most recent being in 2006 in Fiordland.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Recent Sighting: Ko¯kako Now A Cryptid

The reference article on why this bird is now a cryptozoological case comes from New Zealand’s fall of 2006. "Fresh signs of long-lost kokako in Fiordland" was published on March 29, 2006. Part of the article is about the new sighting:

For the veteran searchers seeking signs of the long-lost South Island kokako, a valley east of Puysegur Point in Fiordland National Park sounds like a breakthrough.

The bird was believed extinct in the 1960s, a tuneful victim of predators and loss of habitat.

But the South Island Kokako Investigation Team has kept compiling reports of the grey bird with distinctive orange wattles at each side of the beak. The North Island kokako has a bluish wattle.

And now an offshoot of January’s hunt for more kakapo in Fiordland has led to hopes that the team has another valley to check in detail, with a community of the supposedly extinct birds living there.

For Christchurch researcher Ron Nilsson, the breakthrough has come after more than 20 years of collating reports and checking regions in Nelson, the West Coast, Fiordland and Stewart Island.

He went to the other valley, on the South Island’s south coast, when the search for more kakapo had ended without success.

A team was dropped in by helicopter to check out reports they heard from a geologist remapping Fiordland. The map maker had provided grid references.

"We landed at 1pm and by 2pm we had heard the first of the calls," said Mr Nilsson. The calls kept coming in sequences of about five, and up to 10. They heard at least 50 calls in the first afternoon.

Some recordings were made and better gear was set up next day, but it proved to be the hottest day of the summer in Fiordland and the forest went silent.

Mr Nilsson believes the concentration of calls in such a confined area indicates a possible viable breeding population. The abundance of calls indicates the birds are actively calling to mates and marking out territories.

In recent years, searches for the South Island kokako have been in Granville State Forest in the West Coast’s Grey Valley and further north in the Paparoa Range near Charleston.

"In those places there may be one or two birds in 5000ha of forest. This one is different. I think there is a small group of birds there. You have got a sense that it’s very important."

The group was in the area for just over a day, but accomplished a lot in that time. Now the pressure is on to convince the Department of Conservation - or a sponsor - that an urgent return visit is necessary.

There has been a tussock mast and a beech mast - a year when those plants produce much more seed than normal. That will bring a rise in the number of mice, and then an increase in the predators that feed on the mice.

When the mice run short as a food source, the predators - rats and stoats - may start eating native birds and the fragile group of kokako may be vulnerable.
The concentrated activity near the landing site meant the second grid reference point nearby had not yet been checked.

"These were very encouraging signs," said Mr Nilsson.

The slow movement from nearly extinct, to probably extinct, to cryptid seems to have been a long time coming for the South Island Ko¯kako. Craig Heinselman writes me to mention there is an older list of sightings of this subspecies here, and that a 1998 article in Crypto (Vol. 1, No. 2) has an article about the status of this bird a decade ago.

The world’s most prominent searcher in pursuit of this bird is Rhys Buckingham who calls the New Zealand bird, the "most beautiful songbird in the world." He likens its resonant call to the ringing of Tibetan bowls, or the tolling of a cathedral bell. I wish him much luck in re-discovering the South Island Ko¯kako.

[Melanie]

Unconfirmed Sighting of 'Extinct' South Island Kokako Sparks Search
April Update - Search Unsuccesful
A Department of Conservation team spent four days in the area of Kahurangi National Park where a South Island kokako was reported to have been seen and heard. Unfortunately they found no sign of South Island kokako. They carried high tec recording equipment but heard no kokako calls. They did find a few feathers that have been sent for analysis.
Alec Milne, who originally reported the sightings, is hoping to return to the area where he may have seen the bird, in the next few months to conduct another search.
March 2008. Alec Milne, an amateur ornithologist from Golden Bay, in the Nelson region at the top of the South Island, has reported to the New Zealand Department of Conservation that he has recently heard what he believes was the call of the South Island kokako at the head of the Cobb Valley in Kahurangi National Park, near Nelson. In 2005 Mr Milne saw a bird fitting the description of the South Island kokako in the same area.

The South Island kokako is assumed to be extinct though there have been a number of unverified reports of sightings or hearing South Island kokako over the years.
Distinct Calls
Mr Milne states that on 8 March he was with two other men in the area of the head of the Cobb Valley and heard unusual calls from a patch of beech forest. Scanning the forest with binoculars he saw a light-coloured bird drop down from the canopy. He was too far away to get a proper description. When Mr Milne was about 80 metres from the forest he heard a series of 3 distinct single notes. Over the next half hour, sitting about 50m from the forest, he and his companions twice more heard a series of 2 or 3 single or double notes.

Possible Sighting
Mr Milne briefly saw what he believes was a South Island kokako in November 2005 in the same area. He saw the bird from 20m away. He said it was uniformly slate grey with a body size slightly larger than a Californian quail and some bright orange colouring at the base of its bill.

Department of Conservation Rangers to Search
Two Department of Conservation Golden Bay rangers are going into the area this week with Alec Milne to look for any sign of South Island kokako. They are taking cameras and tape recording equipment with them.

[another specialist]

Source for above



www.wildlifeextra.com/kokako-sighting823.html

[another specialist]

www.nzbirds.com/birds/kokako.html

[another specialist]

Kokako Oldies

With the recent declaration (re-declaration actually) of the South Island Kokako being extinct in New Zealand by the DoC, it is only fitting to share some "older" accounts not often referred to. So, enjoy a few from the files:

Volume 13, Number 4, December, 1966
NOTORNIS - JOURNAL O F THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY O F NEW ZEALAND

SHORT NOTE
REPORTED SIGHTING OF SOUTH ISLAND KOKAKO
Late in January 1961 and early in the morning I entered the bush on the Nelson slope of the Mangatapu Saddle on the old road from the Maitai Valley to Pelorus Bridge. Shortly I was attracted by the loud calling of a bird which I located on the trunk of a large beech tree about 18 feet from the ground. The bird did not seem to notice me at all, so that I was able to watch it for some minutes before pouring rain drove me on. There was movement in an adjoining tree, and I was aware of what I think was a young bird; but it was the
adult which interested me. It invariably moved upwards in short springing hops; and tapped its beak on the branch, left and right. I think it was urging the young bird to join it. It called loudly all the time I was within hearing distance.

It looked about the size of a Tue. I never saw its breast or under its wings. A yellowish colour was noticeable about its face; and its back which it kept in view even when it sprang on to a branch and proceeded up it, was, I think, brownish green. It was most active all the time I was watching it. I have tried to identify it on various occasions since, but it was only when I overheard a fellow-camper at a Forest and Bird Camp at Waikaremoana mention the characteristic up-ward springing climb of the Kokako that I had a clue to its identity. There is no doubt in my mind that the bird I watched below the
Maungatapu Saddle was a South Island Kokako (Callaeas c. cinerea).
- H. E. READ

[Mrs. Read has discussed this incident with me. There seems to be no reason to doubt the accuracy of her identification; especially ,as the South Island Kokako has since been reported near Picton. - Ed.]

Volume 28, Part 4, December, 1981
NOTORNIS - JOURNAL O F THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY O F NEW ZEALAND

SHORT NOTE
SIGHTING OF SOUTH ISLAND KOKAKO
(Callaeas cinerea cinerea) IN MOUNT ASPIRING NATIONAL PARK

For several years from about 1957, I went down to Mt Albert Station, then owned by Mr John Quaife, to help with the autumn cattle muster, usually in late March and early April. The calves duly weaned and the sale lot on their way to Cromwell, I would go up into the Teal Creek valley for a few days of deer shooting. The track, a seldom-used blazed trail, led steeply up the north side of the valley through thick silver beech forest with little understorey and a scattering of totara.

As I climbed and returned I would always come upon areas of the mossy forest floor that had been recently disturbed, and rotting tree trunks and branches that had been picked at and underdug. I suspected kaka but saw no other sign.

On my visit to Teal Creek in 1964, I heard what I described to my hosts as a rather exalted Tui, followed by the harsh and prolonged cry of a falcon, then silence. Mrs Quaife, who had heard of their possible previous existence in the area, suggested Kokako, but I didn't give much credence to it.

The following year, still intrigued by the "ploughing," I took more care to travel quietly and, on my way down, spent an hour or so just listening. I was rewarded by hearing the same Tui-like sounds from two different directions, and did see movement of what appeared to be a largish bird in the tree tops from whence one song came. Again a falcon came screaming down the valley and all sounds ceased.

The next year (1966), I missed the muster and paid my visit in early May. I was coming quietly down the trail and stopped to ease my shoulders by resting my pack, which was loaded with venison, on a convenient rock. Presently, I realised I was looking straight at
a strange bird perching on a branch 15-20 metres away. It was just below the canopy of a beech downslope from me, about 15 metres above the ground but horizontally only about 3 metres above me. It seemed to be quietly singing to itself as its head and beak were
constantly moving and I heard an occasional note, but with a gusty wind rustling the leaves and the river roaring below, it was hard to tell if the song was continuous. The light was not good, but I could see detail quite well. It was facing directly towards me, the tip of its tail visible below the 10-cm-thick branch. It was dark grey with jet
black head and beak. One could imagine it was wearing a mask ! Its wattles, which were quite prominent, were putty coloured, just a light fawn, but it was undoubtedly a Kokako.

I tried to ease out of my pack straps to get at my camera, but, the bird immediately hopped into the upper branches and disappeared. I was fairly sure I heard a snatch of song from another direction, but just then a falcon screamed down near the river and, apart from an occasional call from that, I heard nothing more. The position was
NZMS 1 Map S107 Grid 968687.

The following year (April 1967), I was within 400 metres of the previous sighting, and close to a patch of " ploughed" ground which I had seen on my way up the valley about six days before. It was a fine afternoon, no wind, the only sound being the roar of the
river just below. I had stopped to listen, propped against a tree for only a few minutes, when a Kokako appeared walking along a log which protruded from a thick patch of fern beside a patch of "ploughed" ground. I think it saw me immediately because it quickened
its pace, flew from the end of the log to a sloping tree trunk a short distance below, and began to climb the trunk in a most peculiar way. With each rather ungainly step upwards, it appeared to hold on to the bark with its beak, look in my direction, take another step, hold, look, and so on until it reached the branches, when it hopped rapidly out of sight. I was fairly certain I saw two largish birds moving in the canopy nearby, but as a small flock of parakeets was moving through just then, I could not be sure. I had to hurry on then, as it is not a place one would care to be benighted in.

The following day I took Mrs Quaife up to the spot, but in 3-4 hours we saw and heard nothing except the inevitable falcon.

I had informed the resident park ranger at Wanaka of my sighting the previous year, and again jogged his memory. The Park Board eventually flew in a hut to a nearby clearing, and spent some time in an unsuccessful search.
My next and last trip (1968) was also without sighting except of the falcon.

K. McBRIDE, Kawarau Downs, RD4, Kaikoura

www.strangeark.com/blog/labels/conservation.html