likely to have the necessary survival skills, but are also more likely to leave the
release area and return to their site of origin. An early successful translocation was
of 3100 Snowy Egrets that were moved from Louisiana to Florida in the United
States in 1909. They were held captive for several months and then released. These
birds helped to re-establish the species in Florida (McIlhenny 1934).
Translocations that have worked well include island endemics moved onto
other islands from which introduced mammalian predators have been eradicated.
The New Zealanders are the pioneers in this type of management and have suc-
cessfully translocated the Eastern Weka Gallirallus australis, North Island Weka
G. a. greyi, the two races of saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus(Merton 1975),
Chatham Islands Snipe Coenocorypha aucklandica pusilla, Black Robin, Brown
Teal Anas aucklandica chorotis, Kakapo, Kokako Callaeus cineria, North Island
Brown Kiwi Apteryx mantelliand Little Spotted Kiwi, Stitchbird Notiomystis
cinctaand Takahe (Bell and Merton 2001). In the Seychelles, the Magpie Robin
Copsychus sechellarum(Watson et al. 1992) and Seychelles Brush Warbler
Acrocephalus sechellensis(Komdeur 1994) have been successfully moved to other
islands. In western Australia, the Noisy Scrub-bird Atrichornis clamosushas been
successfully translocated from its last natural stronghold in the southwest of the
state to a number of mainland sites and one island (Bell and Merton 2002).
Some of these translocations have probably ensured the survival of the species
involved. In New Zealand, many of the endemic birds cannot coexist with the
introduced predators that now exist on the mainland, and the two races of sad-
dleback, Eastern Weka and Kakapo all now exist on islands beyond their natural
range (Bell and Merton 2002).
12.6 Supportive management for bird restoration projects
12.6.1Role of captive facilities
Captive breeding projects that are established near to wild populations have the
advantage that the movements of birds and eggs from the wild to captivity and
vice versa is relatively easy. In addition, skilled personnel can be readily moved
from the captive-breeding program into the field for the application of avicul-
tural techniques to the wild birds, while field researchers can be used in the
captive-breeding program.
Captive breeding has played an important role in the restoration of several
critically endangered species and populations. The restoration of Peregrine
Falcon populations in North America, Sweden, Germany, and elsewhere relied
almost exclusively on captive-produced birds (Cade et al. 1988), as did the
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