Doc relocate three young whio

The whio make a cautious entrance to their new home in the Rock Burn valley, Mount Aspiring...
The whio make a cautious entrance to their new home in the Rock Burn valley, Mount Aspiring National Park, on Friday. Photo by Guy Williams.
It was a big day in the life of three young whio (blue ducks), and a milestone in the Department of Conservation's (Doc) efforts to protect a vulnerable species.

The whio - a male and two females - were released in Mount Aspiring's Rock Burn valley, near the Routeburn Track, on Friday. They were caught in nets earlier the same day near the Milford Track, and flown to the Rock Burn by helicopter.

It was the first transfer of wild whio between the Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks. Doc plans to relocate another seven to the same stretch of river within two months, and repeat the exercise next summer.

Doc services ranger Andrew Smart said it was hoped the young whio would breed, and their ducklings would disperse to the nearby Routeburn, Dart and Caples valleys.

''All we are doing is giving them a nudge, and flying them into some great habitat where they will be welcomed by the locals, most of whom struggle to find a mate.''

The ducklings were between 10 and 12 weeks old, and caught at a time they normally left their parents to find their own territories. Whio are classified by Doc as ''nationally vulnerable'', with an estimated 2500 birds throughout the country.

Doc Queenstown conservation partnerships manager Greg Lind said the Rock Burn and Routeburn provided good habitat for whio. However, there were very few of the ducks living there, and a risk of the species becoming locally extinct.

''Whio are vulnerable to deadly stoat attacks, and their numbers have fallen to dangerously low levels in recent times.''

Mr Lind said the support of Genesis Energy had enabled Doc to double its whio conservation work, while Air New Zealand funding for biodiversity projects on the Great Walks network had allowed intensive trapping, almost exterminating rats and stoats.

The transfer operation was funded by Queenstown tourism operator Real Journeys.

 

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