Notornis, 37 (2), 107-119
Article Type: paper
Four surveys for Kokako were conducted in the Hunua Range between November 1986 and May 1988, by playing tapes of the local song dialect. Three of the four surveys were done in conjunction with the Auckland and South Auckland branches of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Forty Kokako were recorded, of which 12 were definitely in pairs, one was a definite juvenile and another a possible juvenile. Some of the remaining 26 were likely to have been paired. Thirty-eight birds were recorded in tawa-podocarp forest and two in adjacent second-growth scrub. The 40 birds ranged in altitude between 300 and 660 m ad. with an average of 490 m. They were distributed in the following catchments: Mangatangi (20 birds), Mangatawi (12), Orere (5), Tapapakanga (2) and Hauarahi (1). Most records were of birds heard rather than seen, and tape responses were low compared with those in surveys elsewhere. Comparisons are made with past surveys and survey techniques, and the discussion includes options for forest management in the Hunua Range.Ecology Division, DSZR, c/- Bulk Water Department, ARC, Private Bag, Auckland