Local extinction likely for a South Island robin population

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-09-23 14:02

New Zealand

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A population of kakaruai (South Island robins) at a site with no predator control near Ōtepoti is almost extinct. In 2022-23, researchers surveyed kakaruai and predator populations in a fir and pine plantation, and compared them with populations at the fenced Orokonui Ecosanctuary 15 km away. Both sites had similar amounts of bugs for the birds to feed on, but the plantation site had just one breeding pair of kakaruai and evidence of rats and mice; by contrast, there were ten kakaruai pairs at Orokonui, and evidence of mice but not rats. The findings suggest that this relatively common native species is at risk of disappearing from certain areas, leading to more isolated populations.