Rock Wren in Okarito

[Jan]

I agree with Andrew and I hope he doesn't shy away from some sort of memoir [sp?] himself.
Ron Nilsson was a great store of information for someone like me coming from a UK ecology background. To go on a road trip with him for a weekend in Twizel where he had a small house was to be regaled [sp] with fascinating stories, that I never quite knew what to make of.......I don't think he was given to hyperbole much though, and he had worked on many different endangered forest species and knew most of the older birders personally. Brian Bell and Rodney Russ were/are great to natter with as well.
I think it's generally accepted that our 'alpine specialist' birds were once far more widely distributed and their populations have become confined as relict remnants because of habitat destruction and predation. If that's not true, maybe/surely someone will tell me?

[Jim_j]

Yes I agree Jan - it's certainly true for Whio & Takahe.
It would seem strange that Rock Wren wouldn't take advantage of suitable lowland habitat - I imagine that Kiore and then the European mammal predators quickly removed them from these areas.
I guess maybe one of the other species of native wren could have filled that niche though? - I'm hoping that as the alpine habitat shrinks DoC will trial a transfer to an island with suitable lowland habitat to see if they thrive (and before it's to late!!)

Cheers
Jim

[andrewcrossland]

Back to Bush Wren, back in my youth I spoke to 2 or 3 people who had first hand experience of them and I remember one of their key behaviours is to come close to you, and then cock their head on one side and simply stare at you, measuring you up! Apparently it was a pretty common behaviour.

[simon.fordham]

I'm hoping that as the alpine habitat shrinks DoC will trial a transfer to an island with suitable lowland habitat to see if they thrive (and before it's to late!!)

Between 2008 and 2010, 41 rock wren were translocated to Secretary Island. In 2013, the population was described as 'establishing well'.

Any idea how they are doing in 2023?

[paradoxdinokipi]

Huh, so were Bush-Wren and Rock-Wren, formally sympatric? I wonder how that worked out.

[Oscar Thomas]

I'm hoping that as the alpine habitat shrinks DoC will trial a transfer to an island with suitable lowland habitat to see if they thrive (and before it's to late!!)

Between 2008 and 2010, 41 birds were translocated to Secretary Island. In 2013, the population was described as 'establishing well'.

Any idea how they are doing in 2023?

Anecdotal reports that they are still numerous from a friend surveying reptiles a month ago, bearing in mind that Secretary Island is the 3rd tallest island in NZ at 1196 metres!

[Jim_j]

That's good to hear

[bradley_birdsnz]

Back to Bush Wren, back in my youth I spoke to 2 or 3 people who had first hand experience of them and I remember one of their key behaviours is to come close to you, and then cock their head on one side and simply stare at you, measuring you up! Apparently it was a pretty common behaviour.

While visiting friends on the coast today I thought it'd be rude not to head out to Okarito Beach to see if the rock wren was still there after nearly a month since the last sighting. Well to my surprise the bird was still there in almost the exact same spot. Probably the boldest Rock wren I've come ever come across. As I put my bag down to get the camera out it flitted down and began inspecting the bag and my boots (not quite but just about hopping onto them). For the next 5 minutes, it spent time hopping in and out from this one small gap between a few rocks on the beach. it was seriously as though it were playing peek-a-boo. Upon coming into the open it was far less bobby than the rock wrens I have seen previously and often had its head cocked.

Not saying this is a bush wren by any means but I think the similarity of this observation to this description is interesting and worth mentioning.

anyway here is the checklist with photos. ill also try upload some of the video I got today of the above behaviors.

https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S133135071

[Jim_j]

Wow that's really interesting.