More fledglings

Over the next few weeks more of our nests fledged. Adults were seen with groups of 2-4 fledglings in 'flight training' mode. They'd fly from tree to tree, call the fledglings over if they were lagging behind, and show them how to find their own food. During this time they're given supplementary food by parents, but it doesn't take them too long to become food-independent, perhaps a few weeks or less.

Commonly the fledglings or juveniles (when they're no longer being fed by adults they're referred to as 'juveniles') would fossick around on the ground under the auto-feeders snacking on bits of sunflower seed. It made for some nice photographic opportunities.

Fledglings/juveniles snacking on sunflower seed scraps

Fledgling/juvenile (front) with adults

Fledgling (note the developing orange frontal band)

Fledgling snacking on rimu fruit less than two weeks after fledging

It was a happy time to be a kākāriki karaka monitor. These birds were once again living, feeding and breeding in original beech forest, free of cages, and most important of all, free from being killed by stoats, weasels, ferrets, rats, possums and cats. Within four months of the first translocation we had quite a few birds who had never known a cage, and the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary was the only home they'd ever known or would ever know.