What is the best pest control prescription to protect kākā?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-09-27 02:00

New Zealand

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New research finds annual or biennial aerial 1080 poison drops are most effective at helping kākā populations grow, as the native birds are especially vulnerable to stoat and possum attacks when nesting. Using radio-tags, scientists measured the nesting success and survival of kākā for six years in one corner of the West Coast, during which there were beech and rimu masts, stoat and rodent plagues, five 1080 operations, and four seasons in which kākā bred. They then used simulations to explore what type of 1080 operations would most benefit kākā numbers, finding the population declined without pest control, while regular aerial 1080 every year or every other year resulted in the fastest growth in kāka numbers.