Kapiti Island hihi end of season wrap up

The main hihi field work on Kapiti Island has finished at the end of March and it was a solid season overall. A total of 134 birds were identified throughout the season. This number is made up of 97 adults identified in the October 2015 pre-breeding census, and 37 birds banded throughout the season - 20 adults and 17 juveniles. The pre-breeding census count of 97 birds is slightly down on the previous season where 104 birds were identified. But the total end of season figure of 134 is slightly higher than the 129 identified at the end of the 2014/2015 season.

Taking a tarsus measurement. Photo: Dallas Bishop

From April 2015 to March 2016 a total of 3879L of sugar water was dragged up the hill with 3260L (84%) of this being consumed. This was an increase on distribution but a decrease on consumption from last season. The hinau on the island flowered strongly this season, as did the rewarewa. Both of these species are key food sources for hihi, while the rata and pohutukawa had a poor flowering season which may have affected the increased numbers of feisty and dominant korimako/bellbirds using the feeding stations.

Count all the male hihi!

The Hihi Heroes (volunteers) contributed approximately 560hrs to the hihi program during the 2015/2016 season which allowed for more sugar to make it up the hill and really helped with the accuracy of the pre-breeding census.

The flash new interpretation sign at one of the feeding stations.

Here’s hoping that many of the 134 banded birds (as well as the others that evaded capture) survive the winter and we have another successful season in 2016/2017. 

DOC host hihi day on Kapiti Island

In late February we were joined on the island by two representatives from Ngati Toa. DOC works in conjunction with Ngati Toa to manage Kapiti Island so it was great to be able to take Raniera and Rakairoa Grace through a few of the tasks we have out here.

They spent the day with us learning about the hihi program and assisting with catching and banding. We had an enjoyable and successful day with the team managing to catch two juvenile hihi, bringing the total banded birds for the season to 30 (21 adults and 9 juveniles).

Rakairoa setting up the catching cages. Photo: Gen Spargo

We will be continuing efforts to catch unbanded birds over the next few weeks while the hihi are still interested in the feeders. A follow up post with a season wrap up will not be far away.

Waiting patiently... Photo: Gen Spargo

Filling the feeders, with a kaka looking very interested in Rani's sugar water. Photo: Gen Spargo

Kapiti Island hihi

Peter has asked me to post a few entries on the blog about hihi on Kapiti Island throughout the current breeding season. So here is the first one!

The hihi, or stitchbird (Notiomystis cincta), is an endemic passerine historically found in the North Island and on other surrounding offshore islands. The species declined rapidly since the late 1800s mainly due to habitat loss and the spread of introduced predators, and now Hauturu/Little Barrier Island is home to the only naturally occurring population of hihi. Hihi have since been transferred to several locations around the North Island and populations are now managed at Tiritiri Matangi Island, Maungatautari Ecological Island, Bushy Park, Kapiti Island and Zealandia.

Male hihi, Kapiti Island. Photo: Nick Fisentzidis

Female hihi, Kapiti Island. Photo: Nick Fisentzidis

Hihi are cavity nesters that feed on nectar, insects and some fruit. Managed populations rely on supplementary food (usually sugar water) and artificial nest boxes to help improve breeding success at sites where old growth forest is lacking.

Hihi were first translocated to Kapiti Island in 1983 and their fortunes have fluctuated since then. Subsequent transfers, the removal of possums, kiore and Norway rats, and the implementation of a supplementary feeding system have allowed hihi on Kapiti to slowly increase in numbers. The current hihi population on Kapiti is 108 known birds. 94 of these were identified in the most recent pre-breeding census in October 2015, and 14 unbanded birds have been caught and banded since September 2015 to bring the total known population to 108 individuals. There are still an estimated 5-10 unbanded birds yet to be caught.

Birds are caught by modifying the feeding cages and patiently waiting for unbanded birds to take the leap of faith into the cage. A trap door is then pulled by a waiting person and the bird is removed from the feeding cage. Once safely in the hand some key measurements are taken, the hihi is banded and then released.

Feeding cages converted to catch unbanded birds. Photo: Dallas Bishop 

The birds have currently all but abandoned the feeders, indicating that they are nesting and incubating eggs, or perhaps feeding fledglings. Hihi chicks are fed by their parents for around 30 days before they fledge, which is a long time compared to other passerine species (bellbirds take about 14 days to fledge after hatching). We are expecting to see juvenile hihi in mid-January, who we will attempt to catch and band as well.  

Female hihi being banded. Photo: Dallas Bishop

Hihi being weighed. Males are around 35g-40g, females 28g-32g.
Photo: Dallas Bishop

For more information about hihi check out www.hihiconservation.com/ and nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/stitchbird

Houghton Bay 24 Sept - Silvereyes

Ros and I had a session at the Houghton Bay Stream this morning with the principal aim of catching Silvereyes and checking for moult. We were successful with this and as well caught a few other birds. In all we caught 75 birds of 5 species with 63 new and 12 recaps.

Species caught were -
Blackbird - 1 (1)
Dunnock - 2 (0)
Greenfinch - 1 (0)
Grey Warbler - 1 (2) the oldest was banded Nov 2010

All the Grey Warblers had the reddish eyes of adult birds

Silvereye - 58 (9) 16 of the new birds and 3 of the recaps were in moult.  With this being just over 25% it is a significant number. Whether this is an unusual year with a lot of late fledged birds delaying the moult until the spring or whether we have not paid enough attention other years (and also not usually catching very many spring birds) I am not sure.

Of the 9 recaptures only 1 was banded at this site; with over 3300 banded there in the last 5 years this is surprising. 5 birds were banded at the Mt Albert site with 4 being from the 164 that were banded this year, 2 were from Hornsey Rd and another from Houghton Valley School.

There were several Silvereyes with pox-like lesions mostly on the foot but one had a large one below the eye.

Silvereye with pox like lesion 

  On a slightly different subject we had a report from a Zoo staff member that a band combination had been recovered from the remains (just the legs) of a bird in the Serval enclosure. On checking our records I found that this was not one of our birds. Suspecting it might be a Bellbird from Zealandia I forwarded the report on to them and was extremely surprised to hear back that it was a Hihi (Stichbird) that had made its way across town.