Two kārearea/New Zealand falcon chicks have been welcomed to their new home at the foot of Mt Tauhara, the bushy knoll that overlooks Lake Taupō.
By Bronson Eruera Perich
Mana whenua representative Geoff Rameka was part of the welcoming party and said he hoped the young birds would settle in well to their new home.
He expressed his hope that Mt Tauhara would one day be filled with kārearea.
“Kimihia he hoa wahine hei whakaputa mai rā ngā hēki ki roto i tēnei wahi,” Rameka told Te Karere. “I hope they’ll find a lady friend to lay lots of eggs with in this place.”
Tane Lawless has volunteered to care for the young kārearea as they grow up.
He sees the kārearea as New Zealand’s ‘king of the jungle’ and wants them to resume that role again.
“Back in the day before we arrived, they were like the lion, or the wolf of their terrain,” Lawless said.
“I can only hope they take over the maunga again.”
The month-old baby birds were raised from a pair of rescued falcons at the Wingspan Bird of Prey Centre in Rotorua. Being New Zealand’s fastest bird hasn’t stopped the kārearea from being killed off, with electrocution, gunshots and pests being common causes of death. Wingspan is dedicated to bring back the Falcon from the brink of extinction through their extensive education and conservation programmes. About the kārearea
The kārearea/New Zealand falcon is the fastest bird in the country. Reaching speeds of up to 100km an hour, it chases live prey down before snatching it up with its talons. While it typically feasts on smaller birds, kārearea have been known to eat hares and pheasants. It’s also one of the few native birds that won’t hesitate to attack humans as well.
DOC estimates there are between 5000 to 8,000 kārearea left in Aotearoa, making them rarer than the kiwi, which DOC figures estimate are at 68,000.
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