Weka Watch files
01.02.1995
Tarzan loses Jane and tolerates Elsie
There has been a lot of activity in the release aviary over recent weeks.
We have received young birds from Warkworth, Piopio, Otorohanga, Napier and Gisborne, plus three older birds from Kaitaia and Otorohanga that have been swapped for younger ones for breeding. With more birds available and more surviving outside the aviary, we have been releasing the juveniles younger than previously,atabout three months old.
Three of the recently released birds have had radio transmitters fitted and one of these birds is known to have died, probably as a result of eating slug bait.
Another bird lost his radio when the "safety link", inserted in the cord harness attached around the bird's wings, broke.
The remaining bird wearing a radio is still being tracked.
In our aviaries, one of our breeding pairs has three chicks. We have also been trying to pair Tarzan" with another female following
the death of his previous partner, "Jane".
Two young birds didn't interest him in the slightest and now we have an older bird, "Elsie" with him. At this stage they are tolerating each other.
The three chicks which were hatched outside the aviary were not seen after they were about 12 weeks old.
We had hopes then that the parents were sitting again but now we suspect that "Amy" is dead.
"Joe" is still around and he has been joined by two other resident weka, one recently released, "Zak" and the other, "Percy", released early December who departed and has recently returned "home".
Being territorial it is to be hoped that they don't meet on the lawn or feathers will be flying.
It's good to see them around the property and we spend a lot of time watching them when we're not working them.