I would like to support what Laurie has said regarding the issue of flagships in general and the Black Stilt in particular. I worked on the program in Twizel and there was considerable skepticism about the breeding of stilts from both within and without. However most united on the point that they were the symbol for the conservation of the braided rivers. From this followed the substantial predator control program that Sue alludes to and the effort to work with leaseholders to revegetate the valleys. The beneficiaries included the other birds species but also the water quality. I guess this is why the town of Twizel (a hydro construction town) has the large metal sculpture of the Kaki in the square – they are symbolic also of the communities change in economic and social fortunes.
Having worked with these birds, both wild and captive, I am quite in awe of their tolerance for the conditions in which they not only live but happily breed in. I have seen both the wild and aviary birds sitting on their eggs in valleys thick with snow or running wind gusts sufficient to throw me, my pack and scope into those near freezing waters.
Captive breeding for conservation purposes will always be contentious and there is should be far more economic analysis of it efficacy versus habitat preservation or restoration. However in many cases things have been left just a little too late for anything else (e.g. Kakapo, Takahe, Regent HE, Lord Howe Woody, OBP). Captive breeding has also contributed substantially to what we know of the biology of the birds and often their relatives. This knowledge has delivered benefits in habitat restoration and providing circumstances for maintaining remnant populations. Our knowledge of diet and nutrition for captives has implications for the types of vegetation used and supplementary feeding.
Too much is made of the cost of such programs by comparison with land purchase or other research efforts. Many of the programs run on shoestrings and the Kaki breeding budget would buy little more than a few postage stamps in the braided river valleys. Those who work in the programs are either volunteers or considerably cheaper than a university based researcher – from my experience.
Saving habitats and the assemblages that inhabit them will require a range of tools and the mix of strategies will depend largely on the specific circumstances. Given our species determination to turn most of our nest to concrete and carbon as quickly as the DA can be put in, we will need all available strategies to rescue some of the native ‘engineers’ that ultimately provide us with water, oxygen and food.
Chris Lloyd
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