Te Korowai o Waiheke

07/10/2026

Spring is in the air, and that’s not the only thing… in the bird world, it’s “cuffing season”. Eight birds, eight completely different approaches to romance 💚🐦

The male kererū/NZ wood pigeon soars upward and once it reaches the height of the display, they drop nose first through the canopy with its wings clapping, and finish the whole performance with a small polite bow.

The tūī runs it like a season of Love Island. Every male sings something nobody else sings, throws in a few high speed chases, fans those white throat poi, and starts fights with birds twice its size.

The kākā nudges her with one foot and that is the entire move.

The pekapeka/short tailed bat, is not a bird but allowed in on charm, spends the night alone in a tiny roost broadcasting ultrasonic calls and scenting the doorway with something best described as musky.

The tauhou/silvereye finds one and stays. Mutual preening, soft chatter, and the same partner in the next season. It's giving golden retriever boyfriend energy from a bird that weighs less than a Tim Tam.

The tūturiwhatu/dotterel scrapes several holes in the sand and walks her round them like an open home, and she picks the one she likes.

The weweia/dabchick does a little bit of aqua aerobics.

And the pīwakawaka/fantail does all of the above at once, at volume, approximately four centimetres from your head.

Read about all eight on our website now:

Spring is in the air, and in the bird world that means cuffing season. Some of Aotearoa's manu put on aerial displays, some sing from the tallest tree they can find, and some just give a gentle shove with one foot. Eight courting rituals, from the genuinely spectacular to the endearingly unimaginati

01/10/2026

There are about seventeen kuaka/godwits standing on Blackpool Beach this week!

They came from Alaska on one flight - with no landing, no food and no water on the way. A tracked female known as E7 once covered 11,680 kilometres of that route in eight days.

Kuaka are classified At Risk, Declining. Most of the pressure on them is not here, but in the tidal flats halfway up the flyway, where they stop to refuel, and which are being built on.

Karen Saunders ofNative Bird Rescue - Waiheke Island put it plainly: "It's possibly one of the greatest phenomenons on the planet, that a bird that little can fly that far."

They will be along that tideline until autumn, so walk quietly and stay back, because resting is the entire job right now! Has anyone else seen them this week?

Photo from Gulf News

Our borders might be closed, but that hasn’t stopped the influx of some 80,000 summer returnees to our shores. These are not your usual COVID-time travellers, walking in circles in MIQ facilities, they instead are the native bar-tailed godwits (kūaka) arriving home after their annual migration fr...

29/09/2026

One camera, one stoat, one less place to hide.

Thanks to the loan of modern Browning Dark Ops trail cameras from the of Conservation, we were able to pick up a stoat detection that may have been missed by older, slower camera models. Stoats move incredibly quickly, so fast-trigger cameras can make all the difference.

This one appeared to have a tauhou/silvereye in its mouth for lunch. Not great news for our native birds, but the detection means the team can now follow up and make sure this stoat doesn’t get another easy meal.

On the plus side, this camera, in the Church Bay area, also gave us a glimpse of a great line-up of native birds foraging on the ground, including kōtare/kingfisher, pūweto/spotless crake and a weka, which was a surprise this far west on the motu.

28/09/2026

Behind every groundbreaking conservation effort is a powerhouse of expertise.

At Te Korowai o Waiheke, we are very fortunate to be guided, advised, and overseen by a world-class Technical Advisory Group (T.A.G). This exceptional team brings together decades of global and national expertise in island eradications, biosecurity, social science, and wildlife ecology.

Why are they here? Because they share our passion and excitement for a bold vision: making Waiheke the world’s first urban, inhabited island free of stoats and rats.

Over the coming weeks, we’re introducing the members of this "Special Forces Unit" working behind the scenes to protect our island’s biodiversity. Discover their unique skill sets, and see why our project is in the very best hands.

06. Introducing Dr. Elaine Murphy — "The Alchemist"

Name: Dr. Elaine Murphy
Codename: The Alchemist
Speciality: Predator Ecology & Stoat Science
Known Missions: 30+ years as DOC Predator Scientist, Lead Innovator of PAPP stoat bait breakthrough, TVNZ Wild South researcher.

When it comes to outsmarting stoats, Dr Elaine Murphy is the ultimate field authority. After arriving in NZ on a climbing holiday, Elaine dedicated over three decades to studying predator behaviour, discovering how far stoats range and developing game-changing, humane tools like PAPP to target them. Fresh off leading major Fiordland trials with a revolutionary new aerial stoat bait, "The Alchemist" is now building a home in Onetangi. Having one of the world’s foremost stoat experts living locally and advising our mission gives Waiheke an incredible advantage!

22/09/2026

Behind every groundbreaking conservation effort is a powerhouse of expertise.

At Te Korowai o Waiheke, we are very fortunate to be guided, advised, and overseen by a world-class Technical Advisory Group (T.A.G). This exceptional team brings together decades of global and national expertise in island eradications, biosecurity, social science, and wildlife ecology.

Why are they here? Because they share our passion and excitement for a bold vision: making Waiheke the world’s first urban, inhabited island free of stoats and rats.
Over the coming weeks, we’re introducing the members of this "Special Forces Unit" working behind the scenes to protect our island’s biodiversity. Discover their unique skill sets, and see why our project is in the very best hands.

05. Introducing Jason Bryant – "The Long-Rider"

Name: Jason Bryant
Codename: The Long-Rider
Speciality: Insider Reconnaissance & Ecosystem Surveillance
Known Missions: Operation Wetland Shield, Global Bird Surveys, Bottom End Trapping Network. Photography Captures.

Every team needs a man on the inside and a high-endurance scout who can cover vast distances and read the landscape. Fueled by a passion for long-distance cycling and global exploration, Jason brings unstoppable stamina to ecological monitoring. From tracking native bird revivals to establishing network traps on Waiheke's rugged 'Bottom End', Jason is a strong voice at the cliff face and ensures our team’s tactical efforts lead to real, measurable wildlife recovery.

21/09/2026

Last week more than 2,000 people filled the Civic to see How to Live on Earth. Now it is anyone's to watch, free on YouTube.

Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch and billed as the “world’s greatest how-to video”, this inspiring documentary explores our vital connection to nature and how nature-based solutions could help tackle some of our biggest global challenges. And most importantly, it’s a film about hope! Needless to say, it’s a must-see.

Watch the full film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3mRsvFmWi0 💚

What if the solutions to building a better future already exist?H...

21/09/2026

If Waiheke's manu could kōrero, what would they say?

It is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, so over the last few days some of the island's birds have been getting their say, one phrase at a time.

Follow along, and if there is a manu on the motu you think has something to get off its chest, say so in the comments 💚

03. Weka

He aha kei roto i tō pēke?
"What's in your bag?"

Not really a question, more a statement of intent, usually delivered at close range while eye contact is maintained. Weka do not beg and they do not wait. They walk over, they have a look, and if anything is loose it is already gone. Sandwiches, sunglasses, a teaspoon, a hair tie, anything shiny left on a picnic table, and occasionally the bait straight out of a trap.

They arrived on the eastern end of the motu on their own terms, most likely swimming across, and have been helping themselves ever since. In their defence they also patrol for rats, which buys back a certain amount of goodwill.

📸 by Elodie Bardsley

18/09/2026

Behind every groundbreaking conservation effort is a powerhouse of expertise.

At Te Korowai o Waiheke, we are very fortunate to be guided, advised, and overseen by a world-class Technical Advisory Group (T.A.G). This exceptional team brings together decades of global and national expertise in island eradications, biosecurity, social science, and wildlife ecology.

Why are they here? Because they share our passion and excitement for a bold vision: making Waiheke the world’s first urban, inhabited island free of stoats and rats.
Over the coming weeks, we’re introducing the members of this "Special Forces Unit" working behind the scenes to protect our island’s biodiversity. Discover their unique skill sets, and see why our project is in the very best hands.

04: Introducing Dr Marie McEntee – "The Liaison"

Name: Marie McEntee
Codename: The Liaison
Speciality: Social Recon & Community Mobilisation
Known Missions: Inhabited Island Social Frameworks, Community-Led Conservation Alliances.

You can’t run an ecological operation on an island with 9,000+ residents without mastering the human element. That’s where Marie comes in. As our social science expert, Marie bridges the gap between complex conservation tactics and community action. Marie's advice ensures the Waiheke community is empowered, engaged, and directly involved.

Marie is a social scientist holding a research and lecturing position in the School of Environment at the University of Auckland. She specialises in the social dynamics of biosecurity, particularly forest biosecurity and predator management. With a Master's in Science Communication and a PhD in Environmental Science, her credentials are unparalleled for any mission.

18/09/2026

If Waiheke's manu could kōrero, what would they say?

It is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, so over the next few days some of the island's birds are getting their say, one phrase at a time.

Follow along, and if there is a manu on the motu you think has something to get off its chest, say so in the comments 💚

02. Kererū

Kei hea ngā hua?
"Where's the fruit?"

The only question a kererū has ever asked, and it asks it constantly. Karaka, miro, tawa, taraire, pūriri, whatever is going. They will settle into one tree and work through it for hours, and later in the season, once the fruit on the ground has been sitting long enough to ferment, they have been known to eat their way into a situation and come off the branch entirely.

No other bird on the island can swallow that fruit whole and carry the seed somewhere new, so the appetite is the job 💚

📸 by Grant Birley