By 1989, there were only 29 kākerōri left on Rarotonga, researcher Hugh Robertson noted in a 2023 report . After decades of rat baiting, the island’s 2022 count was at least 618 birds. Most of us know how small, consistent habits can add up over time. Practicing a skill every day or saving a little every month doesn’t usually feel very dramatic, but the results can be enormous. Conservation works in a similar way, and a little forest bird in the Cook Islands is a case in point.
The numbers are promising, but the report also explains why the work continues. Young birds are turning up in locations far outside the usual search areas, which suggests that the main forest zone may be filling up. Robertson noted that the 45 yearlings spotted in and around the conservation area in 2023 were far more than in recent years.
Because the rat poisoning in 2022 was done to a high standard, he said there was nothing to be concerned about.
The team will continue counting every three years. Recovery here took steady effort over many years, not one big fix. That might sound familiar to anyone sticking with a slow goal.
The report says the 500-bird target was easily surpassed. Because of hard-to-search terrain, there is a second population of kākerōri on Atiu, but a rapid survey in 2018 found at least 123 birds and was considered an undercount.
