This young sub adult takahe who has been bred at Burwood Bush being prepared to be flown with 14 other youngsters into a new home in the Murchison Mountains.

High in the Murchison Mountains, 15 takahe have taken their first steps free from captivity.

The rare flightless birds were flown into their rugged new home in Fiordland National Park on Wednesday, with another 30 set be released by the Department of Conservation in coming months.

The takahe were released at five sites across the mountain range to encourage new breeding pairs.



FROM THE ARCHIVE:

* Endangered takahe shot during cull

* Takahe released on Rotoroa Island

BARRY HARCOURT Martin Genet Department of Conservation Ranger with the Takahe Program and Mary Harrington of Te Anau Mitre 10 releasing a sub-adult named "Little TA" into the Mystery Burn in the Murchison Mountains. One of 15 young takahe that were released in the Murchison yesterday.

They were not all released at the same time because there was an excess of male takahe, so a staged release would allow courting pairs to form, Greaves said.

"The takahe are being released into areas that are less densely populated which are well within the stoat protection area."

DOC senior takahe ranger Glen Greaves said most of the breeding programme's young birds would be released into the Murchison Mountains over the next few years, which would increase the wild population to around 100.

It was an exciting step forward after a focus on building up insurance populations of takahe on islands and mainland sanctuaries, he said.

"We have 60 breeding pairs in safe pest-free locations and can now use birds from the breeding programme to start to replenish our only remnant wild population."

The birds were hatched and raised at the Burwood Takahe Centre near Te Anau.

The Department of Conservation runs its Takahe Recovery Programme in partnership with Naāi Tahu and Mitre 10 Takahe Rescue.

Recent breeding successes and strengthened pest control have lifted the population to about 280 takahe nationally.

The last time takahe were released in the Murchison Mountains was in 2010. The largest previous release was 18 birds in 2008.

Mitre 10 marketing general manager Dave Elliott said after nearly a decade of support it was rewarding to see takahe recovery reach this point.

"We feel proud that Mitre 10's work in recent years to help improve the facilities and breeding success at the Burwood Takahe Centre is making a difference to takahe survival."

Greaves said DOC wanted to establish a second self-sustaining wild population of takahe at a site where the birds once roamed.