The Department of Conservation (Doc) and Ngāi Tahu released 18 takahē at Greenstone Station in late August as part of a plan to set up a third wild population.
Doc takahē recovery operations manager Deidre Vercoe said attempting to set up a third wild population was another pivotal step towards the takahē recovery goal of multiple takahē populations living wild over large areas of their former range.
"Around half of all takahē are now living in large wild sites, in the takahē homeland in Fiordland’s Murchison Mountains and in Kahurangi National Park, where takahē were first released in 2018," she said.
"With takahē numbers nearing 500 and growing at around 8% a year, new homes are needed.
"After decades of hard work to increase the takahē population, it’s rewarding to now be focusing on establishing more wild populations, but it comes with challenges."
After being presumed extinct for nearly 50 years, the takahē was rediscovered in 1948, in the tussock grasslands of the Murchison Mountains.
With the birds now released, people walking the Greenstone Track or hunting in the valley would have the chance of seeing takahē roaming wild in their natural tussock land habitat.
The Greenstone Valley was selected as a third wild site for takahē because it appeared to have suitable habitat and predator numbers could be maintained at low numbers.
"The Greenstone Valley habitat is similar to the valley-floor habitat in the Murchison Mountains but larger in area.
"It has the staple food for takahē including tussock, sedges, and importantly it has a large amount of Hypolepis millefolium — summer green fern — which sustains takahē through harsh winter conditions."
Nine breeding-age pairs were released in August while seven sub-adult birds were released this week.
Up to 10 juvenile takahē would join them early next year.
"If a population successfully establishes in the Greenstone Valley, expanding the takahē population over the upper Whakatipu Waimāori valleys will be considered."
The trapping of stoats, ferrets and feral cats had knocked down predator numbers and was continuing to keep them low, Ms Vercoe said.
