New Zealand Cockatoo Populations

[andrewcrossland]

Another piece of evidence backing the view that Black Swan was a self-introduction is that within a decade or two following the deliberate introductions by humans the level of abundance of swans in NZ was far greater than could be accounted for by even the most generous calculations of natural increase. So the extra boost had to be from wild self-introduced birds and the production of their young.

Regarding cockatoos, it’s far more likely that they would arrive from Australia than swans based on their track record over thousands of years of spreading from Australia to many of the land masses around it. Swans haven’t spread to any of those - even close ones like New Guinea, New Caledonia or the Solomons.

In many cases cockatoos (or related species like Corellas) have evolved in the islands they’ve colonised to become new subspecies or species.

NZ sits downwind of Australia so natural arrival of Cockatois would surely have been only a matter of time. My guess is that the NZ cockatoo population comprises mostly sub populations derived from introductions with a small number of genuine self-introduced populations.

[OwenM]

Update on my trip today, found 8 cockatoos at cascades! Also at cascades were surprisingly Kaka! I have only seen them a few times before and they are quite rare out west apart from a few local flocks so it was good to see 1 somewhat close up, a possible pair in the distance flying over the ridge line and a possible 4th? Probably 3 or 4 kaka in total for cascades. There is an Ebird checklist from this morning (not by me) for more details. Stopped down at bethells beach and found a few beach wrecked shearwaters and a diving petrel. On the way back home from bethells beach I had the window open and heard the familiar(to me music to my ears) SCREECH of a cockatoo. After more investigation it was indeed 2 of them. Today was the 3rd time I have ever seen them and the closest up(for the birds alongside the road near bethells). I will post some photos onto my iNaturalist(Owenpeli)

[OwenM]

Now that I’ve gotten pretty familiar with the West Coast flock, sometime in the next few weeks I’ll probably try to get out somewhere around Hunua/clevedon/miranda or somewhere deep in the ranges where there is a seperate(and I believe larger) flock of cockatoos

[chris]

One thing I noticed about living and traveling through rural Australia, I can't speak for the cities where almost everybody live, is that you tended to see cockatoos in relatively small groups. Around 20 give or take. Very noticeable with there white colors against the forest backdrop. But like here you could travel a long way between populations. Would any country folk from Oz agree.

[Paul Shortis]

There has been a small population of Sulphurs around the upper Admiral Valley, Wairarapa for many years. I first saw them in the 1980's but I think they had been there for a while at that point. I last saw a healthy pair winging their way past about 2 years ago but I haven't looked for them since. The most I have observed at one time was 21 in Spring 2016.

[OwenM]

Yes from what i have heard there is quite a few small scattered populations around Wellington Waikanae Wairarapa etc

[mccoy]

In 1987, I worked on a farm next next to Mohi Bush, out of Havelock North, Hawkes Bay, There were 2 (a pair?) sulphur-cresteds very entrenched there recorded in Notornis. Long-lived birds, any follow up reports? As an aside, it was rooks for Africa when the walnuts dropped back then.

[OwenM]

Thank you so much mccoy for sharing this record with me, I was unaware of this and this is really informative. Previously to this I have not found any records of the Hawke’s Bay population.

[Jake]

In 1987, I worked on a farm next next to Mohi Bush, out of Havelock North, Hawkes Bay, There were 2 (a pair?) sulphur-cresteds very entrenched there recorded in Notornis.

Family friends (Sandra and Graeme McDonald, Orchidists) used to free-range their SC Cockatoos between Napier-Havelock area, around that time period. One became very destructive on a neighboring house, so that put a stop to them being free

[Jake]

Anecdotal evidence of SC Cockatoos being present around the Eketāhuna area until fairly recently. A friend who lives I Kakariki (rural area nearby) said there was a flock around their farm when they moved in 15 years ago. I'd expect they're associated with the ones seen in behind Massey Uni and/or Pohangina Valley. An old flatmate has seen a pair near Massey in Palmerston North too

I've never seen or heard any in Pohangina Valley, despite it supposedly being a Hotspot for them