Waiheke’s bird count numbers have soared again, with Te Korowai o Waiheke’s annual five-minute bird counting session showing a 76 percent rise in native birds counted on the island since 2020. Kākā numbers have increased by 388 percent over the time period.
Project director Jenny Holmes says they regularly receive anecdotal reports from people saying they are hearing and seeing more birds, and the bird count, with its robust scientific method, has confirmed that there was a concrete 12 percent increase in the number of native birds counted in 2024 compared to the previous year.
• Tessa King
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