Zoo staff hunt for puweto: west Auckland
Auckland Zoo staff have joined Matuku Link colleagues to scour for the elusive puweto.
Puweto, or the small dark coloured rails, live in freshwater wetlands scattered throughout the country, with their largest populations in the North Island.
The Matuku Link is a 37 hectare native forest block in west Auckland's Bethell's Valley.
The reserve connects many protected areas including Ark in the Park, Habitat Te Henga, Forrest Ridge and Matuku Reserve.
Staff from the zoo and Matuku Link joined volunteers to search for the birds in Bethells wetlands.
The presence of small dark coloured rails in a particular wetland signals the overall health of the ecosystem.
But more than 90 per cent of New Zealand's wetland areas have been drained and cleared for agriculture which has yielded a major impact on all species.
Puweto need vegetation such as raupo and kuta in which to forage and nest.
Surveyors used a recorded sound of the birds' calls to aid monitoring.
They saw two puweto and netted 13 call responses at 38 listening posts.
Photo: John Sumich
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Rock'in with Elvis by Mike Cole
The Memories of Elvis Fan Club invite you to our 1st Elvis Social for 2026. We are excited to have our own Mike Cole back at the Te Atatu RSA on Saturday 28th February at 7.30pm. Cost only $20pp. Tickets are on sale at the RSA or reserve through Jackie 0274901126. So lets see you with your dancing shoes on and that great smile as we start off 2026 with a bang.
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