Makarora Mohua

Thanks to an unprecedented collaborative effort last summer and a DOC 1080 operation in April, predator numbers in Makarora were significantly and pleasingly reduced. This allowed our manu (birds) to enter the spring breeding season last year with far less predator pressure compared to the year before, when a rat plague severely impacted mohua populations in particular.

To further protect Mohua in the main Makarora Valley, new bait station lines are being established alongside a new trap line — the “Mohua Loop” — to bolster protection for this iconic species.

Thanks to the ORC Ecofund for supporting this mahi/work.

A second round of trap calibrations of existing lines, two years after the first, has proven worthwhile, with several traps requiring fine-tuning. We are also maintaining and clearing hundreds of km of traplines to ensure that the incredible COLB volunteers can continue their vital work to protect Makarora’s unique biodiversity efficiently.

Unfortunately stoat activity was observed in key whio (blue duck) nesting habitats along riverbanks. In response, 25 additional traps were installed in the Young Valley.

Then in exciting news, volunteers spotted six whio ducklings in this valley for the first time in our collective memory. These exciting observations are testament to the incredible efforts of all partners in protecting this taonga/sacred species.