Taonga, messengers, and glimpses into another realm—these are the kupu used to describe the Hihi birds bringing life back to the ngahere at Shakespear Regional Park’s Open Sanctuary.
This summer, around 60 rare Hihi chicks, also known as Stitchbirds, have hatched at the Whangaparāoa sanctuary, marking a historic first for the endangered species in over a century.
Delma O’Kane-Farrell of the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust says hihi hold special significance for mana whenua, who have worked closely with Auckland Council rangers and park volunteers on this restoration project.
“Hihi, like many manu, [are] seen as messenger birds, and the fleeting and darting of the manu is seen as a glimpse or insight into the other realm,” she says.
Not only are these manu significant to mana whenua, but they are also crucial to the well-being of the taiao.
Senior ranger Matt Maitland says, “Slowly we’ve been creating new habitat and reintroducing a lot of the lost wildlife, and Hihi are the latest of those.”
“The Hihi come from Tiritiri Matangi, but all Hihi come from Hauturu o-Toi—that’s the last place in the world where they were left.” He notes that these chicks are the first Hihi to hatch and succeed in the area since disappearing from mainland Auckland in the 1870s.
Te whakahekenga i Tiritiri Matangi
E 40 ngā Hihi pakeke i haria i Tiritiri Matangi i te marama o Mei 2024, ki te ngahere Shakespear Regional Park. Nā wai rā, ka hua mai ngā punua hou i tēnei tau.
Engari ka hoki mahara atu a O’Kane-Farrel ki te kāhui Hihi tuatahi i haria atu e rima tau ki muri.
“Most people involved get really excited about the potential. But when we were on Tiritiri Matangi, we sang a lament and for those Hihi left behind, we could be taking their whānau.”
“Translocating—whether it’s manu, whether it’s wētāpunga, whether it’s old muscle shells—all are treated as taonga,” te kī a O’Kane-Harrell.
“Whilst it’s challenging to consider something so potentially disruptive, [there are] long-term benefits, which we’re seeing now with the 60th chick hatching this breeding season.”
‘Tirohia ngā tohu o te taiao’
Me tiro atu ki ngā tohu o te taiao, e mōhio ai ki te huarahi whakamua - koirā te whakahau a O’Kane-Farrell.
“Mātauranga Māori is very taiao-based.”
“One of our environmental indicators are the manu—what are the manu telling us, and if manu like the Hihi are nationally endangered and no longer around, what messages are we missing?
He whakamaharatanga hoki ki ngā manuhiri ka tae atu ki Whangaparāoa, kia mōhio pū ai te wāhanga ki a rātau i roto i ngā mahi tiaki taiao.
“Always [be] aware of your personal impacts, your whānau impacts. Being as cautious and careful as you can, this space is available to everyone. We’ve made it so with ourselves in Auckland Council, and it’s really special to be here.”
“Small efforts collectively can really make a really big impact, and it’s really up to the individual.”
Almost 2000 Hihi birds nationwide
Once the punua are three weeks old, kaimahi will conduct a ‘banding’ where the chick’s growth and progress are measured. Maitland says the recent breeding season that started in September 2024 was a success.
“With the work of mana whenua—Ngāti Manuhiri alongside DoC [and] community restoration groups—there have now been seven other populations established in sanctuaries and islands, and we’re the latest of those.”
A few Hihi were lost due to natural causes, but this is a great result compared with an unsuccessful translocation attempt in 2022, Maitland says.
There are an estimated 2000 Hihi across the motu, making it one of the rarest native birds in Aotearoa.
