Fernbirds returned to a Wellington wetland after about 70 years
Mātātā showed up on their own at Lake Kōhangaterā during a survey that was only meant to ask whether a reintroduction was even possible.
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Fernbirds, or mātātā, have been seen again at Lake Kōhangaterā in Wellington's East Harbour Regional Park. RNZ reported the sightings on October 23, 2026. In the region the bird is listed as vulnerable. It had been missing from Wellington and the Wairarapa for about 70 years, aside from small populations on the west coast of the lower North Island. Fernbirds are poor flyers, so a return across that gap was not what the survey was designed to find.
The birds turned up on their own during a baseline count that was meant to help decide whether anyone should try to bring them back. Surveyor Shane Cotter recorded more than one bird. Lee Hunter of Taranaki Whānui and Jack Mace, Greater Wellington's director of delivery, linked the sightings to work already in progress. Rōpū Tiaki, iwi, and volunteers have been trapping predators and restoring the Parangarehu Lakes. The next step is to learn how many birds are using the wetland, not to carry a new group in.
For the classroom
Radio New Zealand reported on October 23, 2026, that fernbirds were seen again at a wetland in Wellington. The birds had been missing from that part of the lower North Island for about 70 years. They are weak flyers, and they arrived on their own while people were checking the lakes. Local iwi and volunteers have been trapping predators and restoring the wetland.
- Why does a bird that rarely flies need a healthy wetland close by?
- How can trapping predators help a bird come back without being carried there?
- What is one job volunteers can do for a wetland?
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