Hello!

We're still here, still looking, still hearing exciting new reports of possible encounters, and still finding new and innovative ways to search and to share the story!

Our focus over the first half of this year has been a remote area of Abel Tasman National Park.  Rhys Buckingham is leading search efforts there and shares his latest expedition reports.  Volunteer Rowan Nicholson shares his story including the very promising calls he and fellow volunteer Dan Davis heard as well as his stunning photographs - and he's still hoping to get the photo of the South Island kōkako. 

Other volunteers have been working on our other two key sites along the Heaphy Track and Graham Valley on the eastern side of Kahurangi National Park and we're very grateful to Bruce, Don, Peter, Alec, Chris and Dr Dan. 

A couple of news items have led us to interesting conversations and we hope they could lead to greater understanding of the potential for extinction and perhaps the analysis of new sources of eDNA samples.

You will probably be aware that two of our founding trustees died late last year.  Each loss came as a huge shock and a huge loss for the trust and of course for their families and communities.  We shared our memories of Ron Nilsson in our last newsletter and we share a link to our eulogy for Nigel Babbage in this one. 

And finally, have you discovered our history page?  A recent addition from a 1936 edition of the Forest & Bird magazine included an article entitled New Zealand Has Two Crows.  A fascinating account that contributed to our discussions about the curious calls of the cryptic South Island kōkako.  

Thank you so much for your continued interest and your support.  As always, you can help our work with a donation, small or large, and we need your help more than ever. 

Inger Perkins

Manager, South Island Kōkako Charitable Trust

With generous support from Re:wild, search expeditions were planned during the summer and undertaken in the autumn.  The first of these, to a remote part of Abel Tasman National Park, brought exciting reports of possible calls from a South Island kōkako, perhaps even a pair!  

As a result of those calls, the search effort has intensified there with multiple follow up expeditions and many hours of recordings analysed.  

We share three stories that will give you a flavour of the promise of the site, the challenges of the terrain and a wonderful sense of excitement and optimism!

1. Autumn expeditions to Abel Tasman National Park - reports from two big expeditions

2. Rowan Nicholson's three part expedition report including those mesmerizing calls as well as his stunning photographs of the local wildlife and bush

3. Focus on Abel Tasman and 'Loghorn' Creek with Rhys' latest expedition report

There have been 22 new reports of possible encounters since our last newsletter.  Some have included helpful video that, in some cases, has enabled us to have a close look or listen and then eliminate the report from our enquiries.  Those handy smart phones are proving invaluable and perhaps one day they will include the call or even a photo of the South Island kōkako, so please keep them coming. 

Five of the reports have been rated as 'possible' and they were from Abel Tasman National Park, the Old Ghost Road, Slab Hut Creek campsite near Reefton, the Landsborough Valley and the Kepler Track. 

Read all about the new reports here.

And no, we don't believe the South Island kōkako has joined the Tasmanian tiger on the sad list of extinct species, but a study about the likely time frame for its extinction may give us some better understanding of the situation for our bird.

In other science news, air pollution filters are providing insights into biodiversity and we ask whether they could help with our search efforts.  

Find out more about our interests in these news stories here.

An intrepid team of volunteers has been maintaining cameras and recorders at key sites of interest in and on the edge of Kahurangi National Park.  

Find out about their latest endeavours here and let us know if you're keen to help!

We have a 'History' page on our website that you may not have discovered.  The latest fascinating addition of a 1936 article sourced from Papers Past is contributing to our understanding of the vagaries of the calls of the South Island kōkako.  

Our debate about the calls continues and we believe a lone bird is likely to be less vocal than within a healthy population leading to what is termed an extinction vortex, mentioned on RNZ recently. 

We hope that South Island kōkako will be found and saved "to pour forth their song".

Find out about the 1936 article and the great call debate here.

Nigel had a passion for protecting rare native birds, not only founding our Trust, but also the Mohua Charitable Trust, naming his business after the tiny yellow-headed bird (Mohua Investments Ltd), and was a Trustee and Vice Chairperson of the New Zealand Conservation Trust.  

We share a eulogy prepared by Rhys Buckingham and Euan Kennedy, which includes this:

"In losing this lovely man, the South Island kōkako cause has lost a formidable proportion of its bedrock."

Read about Nigel and find our eulogy here.

There are many ways you can help

In addition to actually looking out for the South Island kōkako and keeping a phone or camera ready to grab a recording, photo or video - and looking out for feathers - we need your help in other ways to maintain the search to find this ancient bird so that it can be conserved appropriately.

You can become a Friend of the Trust or make a donation here. 

You might like to make a donation in memory of our South Island kōkako champions and founding trustees, Ron Nilsson and Nigel Babbage. 

And don't forget, when we have enough new Friends, we will be drawing a winner from our Friends for a beautiful painting of the South Island kōkako by Jos Browning.

Need more information? 

There's plenty on our website including all you need to know if you're heading out on a search and the latest news in our Search Blog 

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