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Implementation of the programme on Motuihe Island
The Bellbird translocation programme and its monitoring are carried out by the Auckland Regional Council (ARC), and the Department of Conservation (DoC), with support of the the Motuihe Trust, the community organisation leading the island restoration.
The Bellbird project team, mixing DOC, ARC and Motuihe Trust people
The first release took places on Motuihe on the 16th of may, one week after the first planned date. Indeed the sanitary tests carried out on all of the translocated birds showed up that some of the birds were infected with the salmonella bacteria. All the birds were treated, in order to have birds in an optimal health for the release!
The 16th of may, the 25 first birds arrived on Motuihe Island by boat, in boxes specially built for their carriage. Each box can contain until 6 Bellbirds. A local Maori delegation welcomed the Korimakos on Motuihe with a ceremonial.
Maori celebration for the birds arrival on Motuihe
All along the way to the release site, the Maori delegation said incantations of success wishes to help the birds holding the heavy responsibility to found a new population! Public and people of the Trust came en masse to assist to this historical moment!
The Iwi leader open the way to the release site with incantations
A numerous public crowd came to assist to the release!
During the 2 following days, the next 25 birds were released and the monitoring work could start!
Mike Lee, chairman of the ARC, releasing Bellbirds
Lawrence Thoms, from the Motuihe Trust, releasing Bellbirds
My turn!
2 hours a day, all the birds using the feeders were closely followed-up by an observer, noting down time, colour-bands combination and behaviour (singing, chasing, territory defending...). The feeder use rate and the identity of the birds using the feeders were daily checked out. Other sightings of banded Bellbirds on the island added precious informations about the rate of released birds which stayed on Motuihe. Potential birds released on Waiheke Island were looked for too.
The feeder use was continuously monitored thanks to motion/infrared sensitive cameras set up in each feeder box. Tens of pictures were daily sorted out in order to complete data collected by the observers.
A motion sensitive camera records the feeder visitors
Pictures taken automatically by the motion sensitive camera
All the birds fitted with a radiotransmitter were daily tracked from 9 listening points, located on the island in order to cover all the pieces of suitable bush. 2 listening points allowed to hear potential birds that could have reached the neighbouring islands of Motutapu or Waiheke. Signals produced by the radio-transmitters can be heard from several kilometres if the topography is favorable: flat landscape, signal reception from a high point...
Telemetry geers
A radiotracker in action on Motuihe
For any received signal, the bearing was evaluated with a compas. The strength of the signal, proportional with the distance with the bird, was assessed. The reception of a bird signal received from from different points allowed to locate it quite accurately thanks to triangulation method. All the 38 channels of the fitted birds released on both Waiheke and Motuihe are scanned at each listening point.
All the data could be crossed with those collected by the Waiheke field teams, and the data collected during telemetry expeditions on Motutapu and Tiritiri. Bird dispersal were daily and accurately analysed! Maps of birds dispersal could be drawn for the 3 weeks after release (lifetime of the radiotransmitters).
Triangulation map drawn to locate the Bellbird fitted with channel n°57