PredatorsGreat Barrier is so far free from weasels, stoats, ferrets, possums and hedgehogs - some of the main predators of native birds. But feral cats, usually domestic cats that have escaped and gone wild, rats, dogs, rabbits - even humans - can all be a big problem at Awana. Roaming dogs can cause havoc on the beach and sand dunes or wherever the endangered Brown Teal are. As well as disturbing and destroying the nests of variable oyster catchers, dotterels, and Brown Teal they love to chase the birds. So ACT staff encourage local residents and visitors to keep their dogs on leads and away from native bird habitats to keep them safe. Feral cats on Great Barrier normally feast on rabbits and rats. But when they're in short supply the cats will eat birds' eggs, chicks and lizards. And, like rabbits and rats, they seem to know when the birds are laying. Cats are a particular danger to the black and Cook's petrels which nest in burrows on the forest floor at Mount Hobson. Rats, which eat birds' eggs and chicks, are a real worry at Awana and there are four different types of them. Rattus rattus is the most common one trapped by ACT field workers. So far Great Barrier is lucky to be free of the large ship rat Rattus norvigious which is found on the mainland. Awana has a large population of Pukeko which prey on Brown Teal ducklings and compete with the adult ducks for daytime hiding places. So efforts are being made with the permission of land owners and DoC to control Pukeko numbers. |
ACT has continued to remove feral predators and monitor wildlife in
The Awana Catchment Trust relies on the goodwill and generosity of public and private donors. If you would 
These days you're only likely to spot the Brown Teal in parts of Auckland
and Northland. And
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