A hopeful count in Nelson
A joint annual survey has delivered encouraging news for one of New Zealand’s rarest birds. Department of Conservation rangers, sanctuary staff and volunteers counted close to 300 kākāriki karaka, also known as orange-fronted parakeets, at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary near Nelson. The Department of Conservation published the result on September 17, 2026, describing it as a strong sign for a critically endangered species. The sanctuary now holds the world’s largest population of kākāriki karaka, making its annual survey an important checkpoint for the recovery programme.
What the survey recorded
The survey team counted more than 285 birds on one day and 229 on the next. Those are repeated observations of the same sanctuary population, so the two numbers must not be added together. Instead, they provide two observations that help conservation workers understand how many birds responded during the count. Top South Now reported that the survey was carried out on September 1 and 2, with Department of Conservation workers, sanctuary staff and volunteers taking part. The preliminary figures were expected to be analysed and averaged by DOC before being used as a longer-term population measure. The official release said the first-day result was almost 100 birds higher than last year’s count, a meaningful improvement for a species that remains vulnerable across its range.
A protected place to grow
Brook Waimārama Sanctuary has become a major refuge for the parakeets. The birds were first introduced there in 2021, and the sanctuary’s protected forest has given them a safer place to feed, nest and raise young. The sanctuary’s predator-control work is central to that protection. Introduced predators and habitat loss helped drive the parakeet’s decline, while predator-free islands and fenced mainland sanctuaries give recovery teams places where released and wild-born birds can survive. DOC says the birds at Brook Waimārama have flourished since their introduction, and the sanctuary’s growing population is now large enough to become a central part of the species’ recovery effort.
A tiny bird with a long recovery ahead
The orange-fronted parakeet is New Zealand’s smallest and rarest parakeet. The Department of Conservation estimates that around 450 remain, mainly in predator-free sanctuaries and offshore islands, with smaller wild populations in two alpine beech-forest valleys in Canterbury. That means a close-to-300 count at one protected site is a conservation success, but it does not mean the species is safe everywhere. The survey is best understood as evidence that a carefully protected population is growing, not as a total count for the entire country. DOC’s recovery programme focuses on monitoring and protecting existing sites, breeding birds in captivity, researching the species and finding safe places where new populations can be established.
People and birds working together
The annual count depends on a large team of rangers and volunteers who record where the birds are and how many respond. Top South Now described a survey method that uses recorded kākāriki karaka calls at predetermined points in the sanctuary, allowing the team to listen for birds across the forest. These observations help managers track changes over time and decide where protection, monitoring and breeding support are most needed. DOC says its recovery programme is led with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and works with partners including the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust, Orana Wildlife Park, Canterbury University, the New Zealand Nature Fund, RealNZ, Christchurch Helicopters and Formthotics.
A second sign of breeding success
The same September update included good news from another partner in the recovery programme. Trixie and Nacho, a well-known breeding pair at the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust, had produced two more offspring that were four weeks old when DOC reported the survey. The pair had already produced 55 chicks over two seasons, according to the department. Their success does not change the careful reading of the Brook Waimārama count, but it shows how several protected breeding and sanctuary efforts are contributing to the species’ future at the same time.
A population finding its voice
Brook Waimārama Sanctuary chief executive Chris McCormack said it was exciting to hear the population becoming more noticeable in the forest and to see the birds thriving. DOC recovery programme lead Wayne Beggs called the count a good indicator of continued growth. The result is a reminder that recovery can take patient, repeated work: protecting habitat, controlling predators, breeding birds, moving them carefully and returning each year to see whether the population is holding steady. For kākāriki karaka, the sound of more birds in a safe forest is a small but important sign of progress.
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