Pine forests have become the habitat of choice for the threatened New Zealand falcon in the central North Island, and forestry companies have had to adapt to work around them. Source: Stuff NZ
Timberlands, which manages Kaingaroa Forest, can spend NZ$10,000 a year shifting cultivating machines away from areas where the ground-nesting falcon breeds.
Sometimes when a harvesting crew is at work, they are forced to move away into another logging compartment, which comes at an even higher cost.
Falcons nest on the ground, leaving the chicks vulnerable to predators.
Food is what attracts the falcons, which catch small birds, insects, lizards, mice and rabbits, and pine forests contain a mix of habitat, from open areas ideal for hunting, to mature forest.
It is one of only two daytime raptors – the other is the harrier hawk – but it eats live prey whereas the hawk prefers carrion.
With a total population that the Department of Conservation estimates between 5000-8000, the falcon or karearea is rated as threatened.
Timberlands forest risk manager Colin Maunder said although working around the falcons created problems, on balance they were positive.
“People working in the forest like seeing them and looking after them,” he said.
Timberlands also supports the work of the Wingspan Birds of Prey Trust, based near Rotorua.
Wingspan breeds falcons for release in the wild, as well as looks after injured birds. Director Debbie Stewart is full of praise for the efforts forestry companies have made to protect the birds.
“Timberlands have done things like move to another compartment until nesting sensitivity is over. They’ve helped with rescuing eggs, with releasing falcons back into the forest, and forestry contractors look out for them,” she said.
Maunder said there were two times when the falcons were at risk: after logging, when land had to be prepared for planting; and during logging.
“Falcons tend to nest on the ground in cutover areas, so before we plant we take the operation elsewhere until the falcon has fledged. This happens about twice a year, at a cost of $10,000 a year to do that but that’s fine.
“We sometimes come across falcons when we’re harvesting. They won’t nest in the mature pines but on the ground close by. Sometimes you can go far enough away in the block or we might have to pull the gear out altogether, which is quite expensive when it’s a harvesting crew. Fortunately it happens only every couple of years and we bite the bullet on that one,” Mr Maunder said.
Breeding falcons defend their nests aggressively and dive bomb any threat at speeds of more than 100 kilometres an hour.
Timberlands has sponsored PhD students. One carried out ground breaking work on the fact falcon densities were greater in pine forest than elsewhere in the country.
The company controls mainly possums using 1080 poison, but that has a side benefit of killing rats, stoats and ferrets which find breeding falcons easy prey.
Forestry companies are not the only ones to come to the aid of the karearea. Kimberly Clark New Zealand, which owns the Kleenex brand, has invested in new incubation equipment at the Wingspan Centre, and uses timber only from forests that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
It has also produced a school resource to teach children about the importance of keeping pine forests healthy, and encourages children to get involved in karearea conservation by learning to identify the bird and report sightings.
Stewart said forestry and other companies benefit from their work with species like falcons by receiving an environmental tick of approval from internationally recognised organisations like the council.
