Aspirational strategy aims to see kākāriki karaka thriving in forest homes

According to ancient pūrakau, the kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet) was a messenger, delivering teachings and messages from te ao wairua (the spiritual realm) to te ao kikokiko – the realm of the living.

Kākāriki karaka were once abundant throughout Te Waipounamu but the impact of introduced predators and habitat loss has been devastating for this taonga species. These small forest-dwelling manu have been declared extinct twice in the past before being rediscovered. Today the status of the kākāriki karaka is described as “Nationally Critical” with a small population of around 300 to 400 living in the wild.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the Department of Conservation and other members of the Kākāriki Karaka Recovery Group have collaborated to produce a ten-year Recovery Strategy for the Kākāriki Karaka entitled Te Ara Mōrehu.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kākāriki Karaka Representative Yvette Couch-Lewis (ONZM) says that Te Ara Mōrehu is the guiding document for kākāriki karaka recovery, outlining a strategic direction for all those involved in restoring the mauri of this manu.

“The strategy has the holistic wellbeing of kākāriki karaka at its centre and is driven by the whakataukī: ko te mea tuatahi ko te kākāriki karaka,” Yvette Couch-Lewis says.

Kākāriki karaka - Photo credit: The Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust

The strategy’s vision is for kākāriki karaka to be established and thriving independently in the wild. The aspiration is for this manu to become a common sight in our native forests once again, and even in our urban green spaces as they move freely across the landscape.

The strategy includes five- and twenty-year goals to enable this vision to become reality.

Five-year goals include doubling the number of wild kākāriki karaka populations within the Ngāi Tahu takiwā from two to four, and having the kākāriki karaka population strengthened to the point that the species has moved out of the highest threat category of Nationally Critical to Nationally Endangered.

Within 20 years, the aspiration is to have ten self-sustaining and growing wild populations of kākāriki karaka within the Ngāi Tahu takiwā, with some of the kākāriki karaka populations eventually connecting to create a meta-population.

You can read the full strategy document here.