Maintaining such ‘mobile species’ populations is complex as the full range of the threats facing such species is still not well understood. In addition to predation by introduced mammals, mobile fauna are exposed to many anthropogenic pressures, especially on private land in lowland and coastal regions where human activities are most concentrated. Mobile species are affected by ongoing habitat loss through land conversion for development, agriculture and forestry, or invasion by weeds. Climate change also affects habitats and access to resources through, for example sea-level rise, floods and sedimentation. Transport corridors, higher-rise buildings, transmission lines, and wind and solar energy developments also pose increasing threats to some taxa. It therefore requires collaboration between communities, research and management agencies to address threats in different places across the range of such species.
Manaaki Whenua’s ecologists are working to address challenges in the conservation management of mobile species and improve conservation outcomes for mobile species. In recent years, our detailed work with multiple partners has tracked and mapped the activities of the charismatic herald of spring, the migratory South Island pied oystercatcher/torea, and the clown of the forest birds, kaka. This work has given early insights into how such species connect people and places across the motu and need a joint approach to protection that takes into account their journeys throughout the seasons. It also has started to reveal how threats at a particular time or place result in population limitation, and enable different management options to be properly evaluated.
As we expand to more species we are covering regional to international scales and different movement strategies, by starting to track the international migrant long-tailed cuckoo/koekoea, as well as sacred kingfisher/kotare and tomtit/ miromiro. There is much more to do.
