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Conservation

Nelson survey brings encouraging news for kākāriki karaka

ReGear

DOC reports more than 285 orange-fronted parakeets counted on one survey day at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, an encouraging result for the rare bird.
An orange-fronted parakeet photographed at Isaac Peacock Springs wildlife refuge, Christchurch.

Brook Waimārama Sanctuary’s latest survey has brought encouraging news for kākāriki karaka, New Zealand’s rarest parakeet. DOC’s 17 September report records more than 285 birds counted on one survey day and 229 on the next.

Why this matters

The Nelson sanctuary now supports the species’ largest population. Birds were first introduced there in 2021. DOC describes this year’s counts as a positive sign for a critically endangered species that still needs predator control, monitoring and suitable habitat.

These are separate daily survey counts, so they should not be added together.

A reason to slow down in the bush

For a sanctuary visit, make time to stop and listen rather than treating the walk as a race. Check the sanctuary’s visitor information for opening details and entry arrangements before travelling.

The same place also features in our raukawa discovery story, which looks at its native plants.

Source

Checked 27 September 2026: DOC’s 17 September survey report.

Photo credit

Archive species photograph at Isaac Peacock Springs in Christchurch; not the Nelson survey. Jon Sullivan from Christchurch, New Zealand, CC BY 2.0.