Moving Manu: How translocation could save our kuaka

Nā Sascha Wall 

THE WHENUA HOU DIVING PETREL, ALSO KNOWN AS KUAKA, RECENTLY joined the Kāi Tahu list of protected taonga species. Found exclusively on te motū o Whenua Hou, otherwise known as Codfish Island, the kuaka population numbers less than 200, and its ongoing survival continues to be a significant challenge.



Whenua Hou is a cultural and archaeological repository of immense value to Kāi Tahu, often referred to by tangata whenua as a tūrangawaewae, a taonga and a kōhaka for many of our manu. Alongside the kuaka, Whenua Hou is also home to the critically endangered kākāpō, mōhua, tītī and many other native species of manu and pekapeka.

Through the rigorous efforts of Kāi Tahu, the Department of Conservation, scientists, conservationists and whānau, Whenua Hou has remained free from predators for 25 years, allowing these treasured native species to thrive. This significant milestone was celebrated in June last year and among those who took part in those celebrations was Te Arawhetu Waipoua, a Master of Science student from Ōtakau Whakaihu Waka, who is researching the kuaka.



TE KARAKA spoke to Te Arawhetu in Ōtepoti (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngā Rauru), to develop a deeper understanding of conservation efforts and issues facing the survival of the species. A passionate and aspirational young wāhine, Te Arawhetu says her inspiration for her studies came from her upbringing.

“I grew up in New Plymouth and Rotorua, surrounded by coastlines and forests. Listening to my grandparents’ stories about the changes they’ve witnessed in Aotearoa’s ecosystems, alongside the importance of kaitiakitanga, inspired my path towards conservation,” she says.

“As I grew older I became increasingly aware of the threats to biodiversity in Aotearoa, which motivated me to take action. This led me to pursue study at the University of Otago, where I completed my undergraduate degree in Zoology and Marine Science.

“Having always been fascinated by seabirds growing up near the coast, when the opportunity to work with them arose it felt like a natural next step. I am now doing my MSc in Marine Science, focusing on GPS tracking of the Whenua Hou diving petrel (kuaka).”

Te Arawhetu’s current research focuses on identifying critical conservation areas for the Whenua Hou kuaka. Her thesis, titled Identifying Areas of High Conservation Concern through Fine-Scale GPS Tracking of Kuaka During the Breeding Period, aims to provide valuable insights into the species’ breeding habits and conservation needs.

Due to the lack of predators, the breeding ground of the kuaka is fairly unique. However, this fascinating species remains classified as threatened-nationally critical, highlighting the urgent need for conservation. There are now fewer than 210 individual Whenua Hou diving petrel birds, making the species one of the rarest in Aotearoa.

Te Arawhetu says one of the most pressing dangers to their survival is climate change, which intensifies weather events that disrupt their natural habitat. “Kuaka burrow on the edge of the sand dunes, facing out to the sea. Biologically, this makes sense, as they can shoot straight out of the sea and into their burrows and vice versa.”

However, these homes leave the manu vulnerable to the elements. In the past, major storms have caused significant dune erosion which can significantly reduce the already small population. Human activity, such as burrow trampling, poses another risk. And Te Arawhetu says that while no immediate threats exist at sea, the kuaka is at risk from commercial fishing, especially during the breeding season when its foraging areas overlap with marine traffic.

“For commercial fisheries, it’s mainly necessary to catch by artificial light at night,” she says. “But when the birds come into land, if there’s any huge bright lights, they get really disorientated, and it causes deck-strike, where they fly straight into whatever’s in front of them.”

Several measures have been taken to minimise fishing boat risk, such as installing cameras onboard to monitor activity of the manu and the surrounding area. “There’s been a lot of work on that, which has been really good. We can now see everyone’s doing it in the bay, dimming their lights and the fishers are doing amazingly.”

Further conservation efforts include monitoring burrows to track population and controlling invasive species such as ‘marram grass,’ which grows from the dunes in long, spindly blades that can become a serious choking hazard.

A strategy used by research teams in the past involved encouraging the kuaka to nest further from the sea, reducing their exposure to storms and erosion. Researchers have also used solar-powered speakers to play bird calls and have created artificial burrow entrances to lure the birds to safer, higher ground.



Te Arawhetu is enthusiastic about a future for the kuaka, which involves introducing them to new whenua. She calls this process ‘translocation’, which involves relocating chicks to a new island to create a second colony.

To test translocation viability, research has been done through her study, beginning with deploying lightweight GPS data loggers on adult kuaka to track them during incubation and chick-rearing. This has allowed Te Arawhetu and the team to identify the birds’ behaviour as well as identifying key areas for foraging.



Using her findings alongside data collected from past research, Te Arawhetu began trialling the translocation process, which involved installing artificial nestboxes made specifically to the dimensions and needs of selected kuaka chicks. The plywood nestboxes feature an external access door through which the chicks can enter nests.

The nests were then placed over curved tunnels dug into the sand, reinforced with plastic piping. The tunnel openings mimic surrounding burrows so chicks will enter.

Soon after installation the chicks began entering the faux tunnels and eventually reached the nestboxes. Te Arawhetu was then able to start hand-rearing, which is essential as the chicks will rely on this for translocation.

Given the success of the test and the ongoing efforts of the Whenua Hou Komiti, Kaitiaki Rōpū ki Murihiku, DOC and many others there is hope for the future of the kuaka. If successful, they may not only stabilise the population but also lay the groundwork for long-term recovery, ensuring this unique and critically endangered species has a chance to thrive once again.