Prior to human arrival, the land known as Cape Kidnappers/ Te Kauwae-a-Māui was a biodiverse hub of wildlife. Fossil records depict a time of ecological riches where the peninsula’s unique variety of habitats supported a myriad of birdlife. Coastal cliffs housed burrowing sea birds, bush-birds claimed the forests and shore birds sought safety in rolling sand dunes.

However, the arrival of humans and subsequent over-hunting, habitat destruction and predation saw bird populations plummet over the course of several hundred years. Once teeming with life, the peninsula’s canopy and coastline fell silent.

Since 2006, Cape Sanctuary has made a pact to ‘bring our birds back’. So far, twenty-three locally extinct species have been translocated to the peninsula and a further eleven are on the horizon. Providing a safe habitat for birdlife has fostered the growth of translocated species amongst many returning endemics.