Rock wren of the Wilkin Valley
The Aspiring Biodiversity Trust are pleased to report the confirmed presence of rock wren at the north branch of the Wilkin River following the undertaking and setting up of a recent (Jan 2018) transect monitoring survey.
Rock wren Xenicus gilviventris is the only true alpine New Zealand bird species and is currently classed as globally endangered under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Peter Child’s (1980) work was the first comprehensive bird survey of Mt Aspiring National Park for rock wren.
The main threat to this species is predation from invasive mammals such as stoats and rats now known to be present within alpine environments. The results of the survey will help inform and guide existing and future conservation management for rock wren. Monitoring transects will also be repeated in subsequent years to allow more informed decisions to be made in relation to this indigenous alpine specialist.
