Mediaboss Marketing

Media release

7 November 2014

Battle for our Birds protecting Catlins mhua

The Department of Conservation tomorrow (Saturday 8 November) begins its Battle for our Birds pest control in the Catlins to protect an important at risk population of mhua/yellowhead in the beech forest.

As well as mhua, the operation will protect long-tailed bats/pekapeka at risk from rising predator numbers fuelled by heavy beech seed-fall.

DOC Catlins ranger Cheryl Pullar said monitoring results show there has been a full silver beech mast in the Catlins and rapidly rising rat and mice numbers.

Monitoring of rodents has shown that mice are increasing throughout the forest and are particularly dense in lower altitude areas where tracking is at 78%. This will trigger a stoat plague over the summer, just as mhua are nesting and trying to raise their young. Rats are not at worrying numbers yet but will soon bounce back, Cheryl said.

These birds are particularly vulnerable to predation by rats, mice and stoats because they nest in holes in trees.

The aerial 1080 predator control will knock down rodent and possum numbers. Stoats will also be reduced as a result of eating poisoned carcasses.

A pre-feed operation begins tomorrow with aerial application of non-toxic baits over 10,100 ha of conservation land in the Catlins.

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Battle for our Birds protecting Catlins mhua