Rare stilts fly south

Press, 16 August 1988, Page 7

Rare stilts fly south

Mount Cook Airline and Air New Zealand cabin crew will have their pacifying skills put to the test today with five flighty V.I.P. passengers. The airlines are carrying a group of rare black stilts from Wellington to new homes in Twizel and Queenstown, but when it comes to flying under anything but their own power the birds become extremely nervous. Accompanying the birds on the journey will be the curator of the Queenstown Kiwi and Birdlife Park, Ms Dawn Wilson, who will be taking every precaution to make the trip as comfortable as possible. “The birds had a very high stress level, and we will be monitoring their progress all the way,” she said.

Black stilts are one of the rarest wading varieties in the world. There are only about 60 remaining in New Zealand, and of these there are thought to be only 10 or 12 breeding pairs in the wild.

These particular birds have come from the Wildlife Centre at Mount Bruce in the North Island. One pair is destined for the Queenstown park and the rest for the Conservation Department’s unit at Twizel. All will be taking part in a

department controlled breeding programme. Preparation for the flight started yesterday morning when the birds moved from the large aviary to an overnight holding pen. First thing this morning they were checked by a veterinarian, transferred into special padded containers and driven to Wellington for their Air New Zealand flight to Christchurch. After a brief stop-over at Christchurch the birds will then fly on Mount Cook and Queenstown aboard a Mount Cook Airline flight.

“We will be in the back of the plane with the boxes making sure they do not get thrown around if there is too much turbulence,” said Ms Wilson. Mount Cook Airline has a close association with the Queenstown Park and has already flown kiwis, owls, herons and parakeets southwards. Cabin crew take a special interest in their feathered clientele although there will be no refreshments for the black stilts as they are expected to be “too stressed” to even drink water.

Instead they will be transferred as quickly as possible to their new homes where they will be fed on such delicacies as salmon and ox heart.