Geoff Malosh
Black Stilt (Kakī) - New Zealand
Ohau River Delta, Mackenzie/Waitaki border, New Zealand. One of the rarest birds in the world, the Black Stilt (or Kakī in Maori) was once a common endemic of the New Zealand islands, but a combination of introduced mammalian predators and drastic alterations to its preferred breeding habitat in the 20th century nearly drove the species to extinction. They are still very much "on the brink", with no more than 100 birds believed to remain in the wild, but hope is not lost. A captive breeding program has been underway since 2001 and has had good success. For more information see www.nzbirds.com/birds/kaki.html.
Black Stilt (Kakī) - New Zealand
Ohau River Delta, Mackenzie/Waitaki border, New Zealand. One of the rarest birds in the world, the Black Stilt (or Kakī in Maori) was once a common endemic of the New Zealand islands, but a combination of introduced mammalian predators and drastic alterations to its preferred breeding habitat in the 20th century nearly drove the species to extinction. They are still very much "on the brink", with no more than 100 birds believed to remain in the wild, but hope is not lost. A captive breeding program has been underway since 2001 and has had good success. For more information see www.nzbirds.com/birds/kaki.html.