Trip Part 3
Kaki or Black Stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) have been called the world's rarest wading bird. They were once common throughout New Zealand but are now restricted to the braided river channels of the Mackenzie Country.
We stayed overnight in Twizel, which is just south of Mount Cook, and made arrangements for a tour of the Department of Conservation's captive breeding center the next morning. DOC began managing the remaining population of Kaki in 1981 when the total remaining population of these birds dropped to only 23 birds. We were able to see two Kaki quite close at the center. These are old birds that were previously part of the captive breeding program. All the rest of the birds were well away from the viewing hide and we had to use binoculars to see them.
Kaki are completely black with long pink legs and a very long bill. The sound they make is similar to the sound of the Black-winged Stilt. I was intrigued with the similarities between the Kaki and the Black-winged Stilt which is quite common in Australia. Black-winged Stilt found their own way to New Zealand sometime in the recent past and unfortunately for the Kaki they compete for habitat and can also interbreed.
These photos were taken through the wire of the pen and with some reflection from glass panels surrounding part of the pen.
Kaki face a number of threats in the wild. The biggest threats are from introduced animals such as rats, ferrets, and cats. There is also habitat loss from hydroelectric and agricultural development. There is also human disturbance from recreational use of the riverbeds and wetlands.
By collecting the Kaki eggs and incubating them at the center the young Kaki can be reared safely. They are kept until up to 9 months of age and then released back to the wild in suitable habitat. From a low of 23 birds the total population of Kaki at August 2011 was now 185 birds. An enormous amount of time, energy, and money has been needed to get the numbers back up to even this level. I can't help thinking that it would be better if we humans did not upset and degrade our environment in the first place.
We were given this information on the tour we took and it is also available on the DOC website at http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/birds/wetland-birds/black-stilt-kaki/
Back in 1983 there was a TV documentary made by TVNZ natural history unit. This full length feature is now available on-line and is well worth watching. Some of the scenes from this production were included in the shorter informational video which we were shown at the Center. http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/the-black-stilt-1983
