Release of rare birds 'exciting'

A recovered rare bird treated in Dunedin is one of more than 100 kaki now making it on their own after being released into the wild.

On Monday, the Department of Conservation let 65 kaki, also known as black stilts, free into the Tasman Valley, near its recovery facility in Twizel.

There are only 129 wild adult birds in the country.

One of the released birds was Tonui, an adult male which was successfully treated at the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital.

Hospital senior wildlife veterinary nurse Angelina Martelli said when the bird was about to be released this time last year department staff realised it had a severely infected toe.

''We did multiple X-rays and surgeries to remove infected and decaying bones in the toes.''

Department kaki recovery programme aviculturist Liz Brown said it was ''pretty exciting'' to be able to release the recovered bird.

''He's in really good condition. He looked pretty happy with himself.''

The management plan for the species is to collect eggs from wild and captive breeding pairs.

The department hoped to release another 45 birds from the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust tomorrow and 19 from the Twizel facility on Friday.

jono.edwards@odt.co.nz