The pukunui/southern New Zealand dotterel population has recovered by 52 percent following a successful aerial predator control operation on Rakiura/Stewart Island.
The annual flock count at beaches in Murihiku/Southland last week revealed the pukunui population has grown from 105 in April last year to an estimated 160.
This is the biggest annual increase for pukunui since recovery efforts began over 32 years ago.
DOC Rakiura Operations Manager Jennifer Ross says it's a huge boost for everyone supporting the critically endangered shorebird.
"After years of small gains, and more commonly, devastating losses, this is the result we needed to help save pukunui from extinction."
An aerial predator control operation by DOC and Zero Invasive Predators in winter made the difference, showing once again how vital 1080 is in the conservation tool kit alongside traps and bait stations.
"We managed to reduce feral cats to very low levels in the operational area. This protected adult birds while they nested and raised their chicks on the mountain tops.
"The timing was critical as the pukunui population had rapidly declined from 176 in 2020 to 105 in 2025."
91 out of 97 previously known adult birds survived along with 56 newly banded juveniles, one new adult, and five unbanded birds. As done in previous years, 5 percent is added to account for other birds that weren't present during the count.
"In recent years, we've lost up to 40-50 adult birds to feral cat predation. Males are particularly vulnerable as they incubate the eggs overnight when feral cats are more active.
"A lot more birds have been able to pair up this season, and in some cases, they've hatched three chicks in one clutch."
It's an incredible result, however pukunui are still far from safe, says Dean Whaanga, a member of the Ngāi Tahu leadership group involved in Predator Free Rakiura.
Trail cameras have detected feral cats at the edges of the operational area, and they are present at breeding sites elsewhere on the island.
"It's critical we continue to take action, not just for pukunui, but to uplift the mauri of Rakiura and enable other taonga species like kākāpō and tīeke to safely return," Dean says.
While feral cats remain on the island, pukunui will always be under threat, Jennifer says.
"Until we can eradicate feral cats and other predators from Rakiura, we will have to hold the line using the best predator control tools at our disposal."
While there isn't an aerial predator control operation planned on Rakiura this year, feral cats will continue to be closely monitored.
"The big question is how long it will take feral cats to reinvade pukunui breeding sites in the operational area," she says.
The trapping and bait station network is being expanded across Rakiura with help from donations through the New Zealand Nature Fund and RealNZ.
Jennifer says while not everyone is able to protect pukunui on the ground, there are other ways people can get involved in conservation efforts.
"Actions like supporting local trapping groups and donating to wildlife recovery projects across the country."
If you would like to support the Pukunui Recovery Project for Conservation Week, check out the New Zealand Nature Fund campaign
Or learn more about how you can get naturing and support native wildlife. Do your bit for nature.
Background
Pukunui chicks bring hope for survival: Media release 6 November 2025
Predator control positive news for pukunui: Media release 15 October 2025
Domestic cats are not the target of predator control operations on Rakiura. The feral cat population on Rakiura is self-sustaining, meaning they breed in the wild. The large majority of feral cats on the island will have never interacted with humans before.
Blood samples have been taken from new birds to determine their sex and who their parents are. Once results are in, we will provide an update on the male-female population ratio.
The Pukunui Recovery project aims to increase the pukunui population to at least 300 by 2035.
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