Black stilts, or kaki, are one of the world’s rarest wading birds, there being only about 140 adult birds left in the wild, mainly in the Mackenzie Basin.
Pukeuri-based Alliance Group has won a new two-year contract to provide beef hearts, which will feed hungry chicks at the Department of Conservation’s captive breeding facility, near Twizel, until they can be released when they are 8 or 9 months old.
The juvenile birds will also be fed the beef hearts for around six weeks following their release, planned for August, to help supplement their diet and give them a chance to adjust to foraging for food by themselves.
‘‘The hearts are a key component of the chicks’ diet and gives them the best chance of survival,’’ Doc kakī captive breeding project lead Liz Brown said.
‘‘They will be gobbled up with relish. The heart is a lean source of protein, and diet analysis has shown that with the addition of a few other mineral supplements, it’s an excellent replacement for their natural diet of freshwater invertebrates.’’
Alliance general manager for safety and processing Wayne Shaw said Alliance was glad to be able to contribute to recovery efforts for one of the country’s most endangered birds.
‘‘Feeding one of the world’s rarest birds is a long way from Alliance’s usual customers.
‘‘Most of our beef, lamb and venison ends up on restaurant plates and family tables around the world, not in a breeding programme for endangered birds.
‘‘These hearts go through a tightly controlled process to meet Doc’s exacting standards for the chicks. Knowing they’re helping lift kakī/black stilt numbers makes this work especially rewarding for the Alliance team.’’
Doc regional partnerships and investment manager Christine Officer said: ‘‘We love that Alliance is feeding these very special chicks. We are seeing more New Zealand businesses see the value of taking action for nature. Kiwis care about our endemic endangered species and really want them to survive.’’
