Using translocation of North Island robins to counter effects of forest fragmentation in the central North Island of New Zealand

The purpose of most translocation projects is to preserve endangered species or restore the ecosystem of an area. In comparison this translocation is being used as a research tool, though it is hoped that the knowledge gained will help future conservation efforts. It is part of a wider set of research projects being undertaken by staff and post-graduate students at Massey University. The main pre-requisite for re-introduction is usually to reverse the habitat factors causing the initial loss of the species. However, in fragmented habitats, it is possible that species' distribution may be reduced by failure to re-colonize following chance extinctions, i.e., due to meta-population dynamics. In such cases, it may be possible to increase the distribution of the species through translocation alone. The main purpose of the translocations described in this case study was to develop methods for assessing whether translocation can be used to counter the effect of fragmentation. North Island (Petroica longipes) robins were used to trial this idea because; they are relatively easy to monitor and handle, they are found in a suitable study area (fragmented forest habitat in the central North Island of New Zealand), they are not currently considered to be endangered (although they have disappeared from most of their original range), and source robins for translocation were available in nearby commercial pine plantations which were due to be felled.