Native bird spotted in Wellington for first time in about 70 years

A species of secretive native bird generally not seen in the Wellington region for about 70 years has been spotted at Lake Kōhangaterā, in East Harbour Regional Park.The Mātātā, or Fernbird, was classified as 'regionally threatened: vulnerable', and was hard to spot because they spend most of their time inside the canopy of shrubs, Greater Wellington Regional Council said."They live among dense wetland vegetation, where they forage for insects and other small invertebrates. Their reliance on high-quality, diverse wetland habitats makes their presence an encouraging development for the area's biodiversity."Bird surveyor Shane Cotter said the discovery was significant both for the species and for the park."This is exciting news as fernbirds have been absent from the lower North Island [Wellington and Wairarapa] for around 70 years except for a few small populations on the Wellington's west coast. They are described as poor flyers so to locate them at the Parangarehu Lakes was a surprise."Lee Hunter, representing Taranaki Whānui, said the discovery was an encouraging sign of the value of ongoing conservation work at the lakes."We recently discussed the re-introduction and return of Mātātā, so a baseline survey was conducted, and we found that they had returned on their own," Hunter said.Greater Wellington director of delivery Jack Mace said the discovery was a welcome reminder of the importance of sustained conservation efforts in the area."It's fantastic to see mātātā at Parangarehu Lakes. These birds are not common at all so to find them here is a real sign that the efforts of council, iwi, and volunteers to protect biodiversity, restore wetlands, and knock back introduced predators are paying dividends," Mace said."Finding these birds is a good sign for local wildlife. It shows why we need to keep protecting and restoring East Harbour Regional Park and all regional parks across the Wellington region."