New Zealand Wildlife- The Forest (Te Wao Nui a Tane)

The Forest- Te Wao Nui a Tane
Before people arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand, abundant forests covered the land, from the coast to the mountain ranges. These forests teemed with an amazing variety of plants, birds, reptiles, and insects. Many of these species are found nowhere else in the world. These rich forests are a vital part of the New Zealand environment. Unfortunately, in the few centuries since people first settled here, nearly all our forests have been destroyed through clearing for agriculture, farming, forestry, and development. New Zealanders are working together to protect remaining forests and replant trees for forests for the future.

For it's size, New Zealand has lost more Rainforest than any other country on Earth! 99% of its original forest cover is lost forever. New Zealand Rainforests are unique; its islands have been isolated for 70 million years. 85% of its flowering plants, and the world's heaviest insect, the Giant Weta are endemic. Some kauri trees in the forests are over 2,000 years old! Human impact has devastated New Zealand forests. They have been cleared for hunting, settlement and farming. Many New Zealand forest species have become extinct- like moas, giant eagles and huia. Many other species are especially vulnerable- like kiwi, kakapo, kaka, kokako. The forests are also being eaten by imported animals- like possums, pigs and goats. Also, some New Zealand Rainforests are still being logged. You can visit the world's largest kauri tree, Tane Mahuta in Waipoua Forest in Northland. The slow growing kauri forest trees cannot be replaced. It would take thousands of years to regenerate the great kauri forests that have been lost forever.

Huia

Moa

Kiwi

Kaka

Kakapo 

Kokako

Bellbird (Korimako)- Captain Cook described the korimako's melodious song as, 'like small bells exquisitely tuned'. Well camouflaged in the forest, you usually hear a bellbird before you see it. Korimako numbers declined sharply during the 1800s, after European rats and stoats arrived in New Zealand. Although korimako numbers have increased, they are still rare in some parts of the country, particularly on the mainland north of Taupo. Korimako from different areas have noticeably different songs, in the same way that people have regional accents. Young korimako also sound different to adults.

Bellbird (Korimako)

Blue Duck (Whio)- The secretive whio lives in New Zealand's rushing mountain streams. It is one of the only two duck species worldwide that inhabit such fast-flowing waters. Whio have some special adaptations for survival in fast water. They have big, tough feet, so that even ducklings can paddle well in fast-flowing currents. Whio have a specialized technique of nibbling insect larvae from the surface of rocks in shallow white water. Their upper bill has a thick, fleshy 'lip' to protect it from damage as they scrape food from the rocks. This endangered blue duck poses a particular problem for conservationists. Their need for clean, fast-flowing water makes it difficult to provide new predator-free homes. Unlike many other threatened species, they can't simply be moved to pest-free offshore islands. The solution is to control pests within blue duck habitats. This requires ongoing effort, and many conservation groups are working hard to protect whio in the wild. Auckland Zoo actively participates in their recovery, breeding whio in captivity and releasing them into protected rivers in Taranaki.

Blue Duck (Whio)

North Island Saddleback (Tieke)- Tieke were nearly wiped by introduced predators like rats, cats, and stoats, but thanks to the hard work of New Zealand conservationists we can still see them on pest-free islands and reserves. With a unique call, red wattles and a rust colored 'saddle' shape on their back, tieke are one of New Zealand's most distinctive native birds. Like many of the native birds, tieke cannot protect themselves from mammal predators. If we want to see their return to the mainland, we need to find ways to keep these predators in check. Tieke tend to nest and feed near the ground and can be heard hoping and foraging around the forest floor. This makes them easy prey for introduced predators. By the 1960s, just 500 tieke remained on a single island near Auckland, Hen Island, leaving the species in a vulnerable position. Today, thanks to the work of the Department of Conservation, island trust and many committed New Zealanders, the species is stable, with more than 7,000 tieke on fifteen now predator-free islands and fenced mainland sites. Tieke are a great conservation success story, and serve as a great example for why New Zealand is considered a world leader in invasive mammal-predator control for the conservation of native species.

Northern Island Saddleback (Tieke)

Red-crowned Parakeet (Kakariki)- During the 1800s red-crowned parakeets were common across New Zealand. Sometimes flocks would feed on grain and fruit crops, so farmers shot thousands to protect their harvests. Together with the destruction of their old-growth forest habitat and an increase in predators, this almost led to their extinction. Nesting in holes in trees, rocks and soil, females and chicks are vulnerable to predators such as rats and stoats, as there is no escape route. Although almost extinct on the mainland, the red-crowned kakariki is now common on  many pest-free islands.

Red-crowned Parakeet (Kakariki) 

Tui- The tui is easily identified by the curled white tuft under its throat. Among New Zealand’s most vocal song birds, tui are the first to start at dawn and the last to fall quiet at dusk. Their beautiful song combines clicks, whistles, and bell-like notes. Tui mimic the calls of other birds, and even human noises like cellphones! Tui feed mainly on nectar from native flowering plants. They love flax flowers and use their brush tipped tongues to reach the nectar deep in the long flowers.

Tui

North Island Kaka- The boisterous kaka was once abundant in forests throughout New Zealand. Similar to its cousin the kea in size and behavior, the kaka has distinctive dark reddish plumage. The kaka has some special features- a brush-like tongue for collecting nectar, and a strong beak which can open the tough cone of the kauri and dig out grubs from logs. Auckland Zoo is part of a coordinated breeding program that breeds kaka for release to protected wild sites.

North Island Kaka

Forest birds are under threat: many of NZ’s forest birds are threatened  by reduced habitat and introduced species with compete for food. Many also fall prey to introduced mammals, which raid nests and even eat mature birds of some species. Even the big, noisy kaka faces severe threats to it survival. Nesting females are easy prey for stoats as there is no escape from their nests in deep tree holes. As with some other species, this has led to an imbalance in the number of males and females, and lower reproduction rates. Kaka chicks are a target for predators such as stoats and cats as they leave the nest before they’ve learned to fly. Introduced possums and wasps compete with native birds such as the kaka and kakariki for food. Wasps love the honeydew produced by scale insects which collects on beech trees. Native birds rely on this sugary food, and their breeding rates are affected by its loss.

New Zealand Wood Pigeon (Kukupa)- The kukupa is also known as kuku, or kereru. It is NZ’s largest forest bird and plays an important role in forest regeneration by spreading tree seeds. Kukupa can swallow large seeds whole, which pass through them undigested. These seeds are spread across the forest floor, along with some manure to help them grow. Kukupa numbers are declining due to competition for food and predation by possums and rats. Because of their important role in spreading seeds, the disappearance of the kukupa would be a disaster for the native forests.

New Zealand Wood Pigeon (Kukupa)

New Zealand has more than 100 species of weta including the Auckland tree weta. You’ll find them anywhere from the sand dunes to the mountains. You can open a weta hotel in your own garden. All you needs is a length of hollow bamboo. Soon you may hear their evening call. Visit www.aucklandzoo.co.nz for more information on making your own weta hotel.

Auckland Tree Weta (I do not like the look of this guy- ew!)

Tree ferns are a distinctive feature of NZ forests. Their majestic crowns spread high in the forest canopy. The koru symbol of an unfurling fern frond and the silver fern are both well-known symbols of New Zealand. Ferns are usually found in tropical climates, so New Zealand has an unusually large range for a temperate country. Of its 200 species, almost half live only in New Zealand. Most ferns prefer damp, shady environments, but some have adapted to drier habitats such as coastal and even alpine areas. NZ’s ferns range from tiny filmy ferns with fronds just 20mm long, to the black mamaku tree ferns which grow to 20m tall. Climbing ferns use the trunks of trees to help them reach great heights. Bracken fern, or rarauhe, is a common plant that grows well all over New Zealand. This makes it very effective in revegetation projects. It was once a staple food for Maori and early settlers, and was also used to cure and prevent many illnesses.

Koru Symbol 

Silver Fern (logo used for New Zealand sports teams)

Tree Ferns

As I talked about before, the kauri tree is a national treasure of New Zealand, and an icon of its once great forests. Kauri grow to more than 50m tall, 10m wide, and can live for more than 2,000 years! With links back to the ancestral forests of Gondwana (the supercontitent of 190 million years ago), kauri are among the world’s mightiest trees. They play a vital role in the forest ecosystem, providing shelter, food, and habitats for a huge range of animals and other plants. The number of rings on the inside of the kauri tell how old it is. They also tell another story. A broad ring means that the tree grew at a greater rate that year. This could have been due to better climate conditions for growth. In older trees, broad rings can indicate that natural fertilizer from bird droppings was more abundant. Kauri are now threatened by the kauri dieback disease. Even the tallest, strongest trees can be killed. Kauri dieback is caused by a fungus-like disease which is spread through soil movement. Please clean your shoes, tires and equipment of all soil before and after visiting kauri forests, keep to tracks, and use cleaning stations whenever they are provided!

This picture shows you just how big the kauri trees can get!

Insects (Ngarara)- It’s easy to overlook the smallest, but most numerous forest dwellers- insects. Yet New Zealand has around 20,000 unique insect species that exist nowhere else! Many have been around for over 360 million years, since before the dinosaurs. Insects play a vital role in recycling organic matter, including dead vegetation and organic waste from animals. They’re also the food supply for many of the larger animals such as fish, frogs, birds and bats.

Puriri Tree and Moth- Puriri trees have a special relationship with New Zealand’s largest moth, called the puriri moth, or pepetuna. Puriri caterpillars burrow deep into the puriri tree. Caterpillars spend up to five years inside these tunnels, feeding on the wood until they pupate and turn into moths. These moths emerge from their holes in trees on warm, humid nights, but live only a few days- just long enough to mate and lay eggs. Look for the scars that puriri moths have left behind in the trunk and branches of this old tree. Because puriri trees can produce fruit and flowers all year, they are an important food source for many native birds. Wild kukupa and tui can often be seen feeding on them.

Puriri Moth

Puriri Tree

You can help save the New Zealand forests! Get involved- join a community planting project. Contact your local Department of Conservation office, council, or conservation organization to find out what’s happening in your area. You can grow native plants in your backyard to provide food and habitat for native animals. And of course, you can help prevent kauri dieback by washing your shoes.

Conservation:

The Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund is supporting Dr. Bethany Jackson's research on the health and disease in kakariki on Tiritiri Matangi Island, and implications of Beak and Feather Disease Virus (BFDV) for conservation managers. Since 2004, there has been evidence that indicates BFDV is present in Tiritiri Matangi's kakariki population. However, not enough testing has been conducted, so Dr. Jackson's findings are critical.

There is also a Kokako Recovery Group which the Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund is supporting

Auckland Zoo is funding many other conservationist movements to help keep New Zealand's endemic wildlife alive. Many involve putting trackers on highly endangered species to learn more about their whereabouts, habitat use, prey abundance, dispersal behavior, etc.