Kārearea / NZ falcon

Parker Conservation have three active kārearea/ New Zealand falcon research projects: in plantation forestry, South Island high country and subantarctic Auckland Island.

The objective of our three kārearea projects is to inform conservation management. Data collected are foundations of conservation biology; breeding population estimates and densities, breeding success rates, adult survival rates, the impacts of introduced mammalian predators on breeding success, and habitat use.

In addition we are interested in identifying and mitigating conflict between kārearea and forestry or farming operations, tourism activities, peri-urban development, genetic relationships between kārearea on the mainland and the Auckland Islands, kārearea interactions with proposed pest-mammal eradication campaigns, and electrocution of kārearea in electricity infrastructure.

For the past six years we have researched kārearea in Otago plantation forestry, working with seven forestry companies and the Forest Owner’s Association. Subantarctic Auckland Island kārearea have been a focus for five years in a project for the Department of Conservation. More recently we have completed the third year of a five-year research project to learn more about kārearea in the high-country Cardrona valley of Central Otago, working with Cardrona Alpine Resorts.