Native bird numbers soaring but climate change a looming threat
A New Zealand native believed to be the worlds most threatened gull may lose its unfortunate title and vulnerable kiwi are bouncing back with a little human help. But with climate change creating challenges for birds across the country, experts say we cant take our eye off the ball yet. The latest New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) native bird review was released on Tuesday. It is carried out every five years by an expert panel , which reviews the evidence to determine just how endangered each species is. READ MORE: * Fewer sightings of Hector's dolphins in Canterbury raises concerns * Discovery of new kiwi population 'most significant in recent times' * Kea recognised as endangered on red list of globally threatened species Of the 491 birds assessed in the latest report, 25 species have improved in status since the last assessment in 2016, while 22 have declined. Five species have been moved out of nationally critical the last category before extinction and none were added. Kiwi were some of the biggest winners, with the North Island brown kiwi moving from at risk declining to not threatened, and the Haast tokoeka or Southern brown kiwi moving from nationally critical to nationally vulnerable. More accurate aerial surveys, combined with careful ground counts, also uncovered many more black-billed gulls than expected. They were moved down from being critically endangered to at risk declining . It was not all good news, however, with two new species now classified as endangered. The rowi, or Okarito kiwi, has shifted from nationally vulnerable to endangered, as has the South Islands New Zealand falcon population. Lead author Hugh Robertson said the drop in species considered nationally critical was the most heartening bit of the report. The overall trend is going in the right direction ... [The report] shows all that investment in management is really paying off. If kakapo have another good breeding season or two, they could move out of the critically endangered taxa too. Birds like the Haast tokoeka had benefited from intensive management, including predator control and raising chicks in captivity, he said, and their success showed the impact those conservation strategies could have. Numbers had increased from 250 to more than 400 birds. Even rowi numbers were strong, Robertson said, and their re-classification was more a quirk of the system. Numbers had climbed from 160 birds in 1995 to more than 600 as of 2018, but the population was no longer actively increasing as there were not enough suitable habitats. Remote, island-dwelling species like the Antipodes Island snipe and pipit were also reaping the benefits, Robertson added, with numbers soaring as a direct result of the 2016 million dollar mouse eradication project . Campbell Island teal were doing well too, and were shifted from nationally vulnerable to nationally increasing, nearly two decades after rats were removed from the island. But Robertson said not all the reports surprises were as positive. The lions share of the spotted shag population nest in the cliffs around Canterburys Banks Peninsula, but their status has worsened from not threatened to nationally vulnerable. Nesting sites were decimated by the Christchurch earthquakes, he said, and breeding had not bounced back. The much-loved hoiho, or yellow-eyed penguin, narrowly escaped being bumped up to critically endangered. Were really concerned about the mainland hoiho population ... which is going down the gurgler. Their numbers were propped up by a strong, offshore island population, he said, but the mainland birds were in serious trouble. The NZTCS report added climate impact as a qualifier for the first time this year, with 69 species feeling the heat. Its of increasing concern, were starting to see it impacting our native birds in many different ways. Droughts were becoming an issue on some islands, and higher temperatures meant predators like rats were moving further into alpine habitats, threatening species like tuke/rock wren and Huttons shearwater. Seabirds [are] having to travel further to find food ... [and] storm surges and higher tides are affecting our coastal nesting species. Its quite worrying just how many of our birds are affected, its really covering all the realms. The Department of Conservations (DOC) Ian Angus said the latest report was cause to celebrate particularly for species like brown kiwi. It shows that the sustained conservation efforts over 30 years by community groups, Maori, Save the Kiwi Trust ... scientists, and government agencies are working. But there was no room for complacency, he said, with brown kiwi just one of many species flagged as conservation dependent. Investment in conservation means were seeing an overall positive trend, especially with species that are managed, whether its through intensive management, community conservation efforts or a combination of both. However, we need to continue ramping up conservation work because so many of our native bird species will slip into more threatened categories without ongoing effort.