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Connecting kōkako
across the Bay of Plenty

A regional collective restoring safe habitat and strengthening isolated kōkako populations through collaboration, planting and predator control.

The Why

Kōkako are indicators of healthy native forest. But they are also poor flyers, and require continuous vegetation to move around.

In the Bay of Plenty, eight isolated populations remain, many holding rare genetic lineages.


Without safe habitat connections and sustained predator control, these populations remain vulnerable.


KEEP exists to change that.

©Neil Robert Hutton _ 17 MKT translocation.jpg

Photo: Neil Robert Hutton

What KEEP Does

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Grow Regional Support

We increase awareness of kōkako as indicators of forest health and strengthen regional support for their protection across the Bay of Plenty.

Connect Populations

We support safe habitat connections between isolated kōkako populations through coordinated predator control and targeted planting, building long-term resilience.

Build Capability

We improve regional capability in kōkako management through training, consistent monitoring, and shared data across projects.

The Collective

KEEP is a regional collaboration.

We work across project boundaries to support kōkako at a landscape scale.

8 5 2 1

isolated

populations

in BOP

original

genetic

lineages

corridor

connections in progress

coordinated

effort

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About Kōkako

The North Island kōkako is a medium-sized forest bird and a member of the endemic wattlebird family. Alongside its relatives, the tieke and the extinct huia, the North Island kōkako holds a special place in our hearts. It is well known for its beautiful and haunting song.

KEEP | Upcoming Events

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Our Supporters

Thank you to our funders who make this work possible.

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