11 Jul 2015

Pōpokatea to return to Auckland

9:30 am on 11 July 2015

The buzzing and chirping sounds of the small pōpokatea, or whitehead bird, will soon be heard in an Auckland sanctuary for the first time in many years.

About 40 birds will be transferred from Tiritiri Matangi Island and released into the open sanctuary in Auckland Council's Shakespear Regional Park today.

A second group of about 20 birds will be relocated from Tāwharanui Open Sanctuary later this month.

Auckland council senior ranger, Matt Maitland said it had been decades since pōpokatea have been in the area.

Mr Maitland said the birds would be individually colour-banded to see if their numbers increased.

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