Protecting falcons and their nests
Breeding season study.
Ahead of the 2013-14 breeding season, two time-lapse cameras were set up to locate and monitor the active falcon nests. The cameras were left to run unattended for a month, taking photos each time movement was detected, until the falcons moved on.
The photos showed the parents coming and going for feeding, the movements of the chicks as they developed and how active the falcons were during night hours.
The monitoring programme also enabled our team to determine the daily patterns of the birds so that when harvesting begins in these areas, we have detailed plans in place to protect the falcons during vital nesting periods.
Ongoing protection and management
We now undertake ongoing monitoring of the falcon nests within our estate, gathering invaluable information about both the falcons’ habitat and potential threats. During a recent visit to the site, juvenile birds were seen in the area which leads us to believe the survival rate of the chicks is high.
We use predator traps around the boundary of known falcon nesting sites to target mustelids, cats and possums. The traps are set at least 50 metres away from the nest. When the predator traps are not being used for this purpose, they are set around our High Conservation Value Forests (HCVFs).
Aratu Forests Limited
Level 2, 77 Peel Street
Gisborne
4010
P.O. Box 242
Gisborne
4071
Phone: +64 6 867 9799
admin@aratuforests.co.nz
© Aratu Forests Limited