Murihiku Southland celebrates six years of no rooks

A feathered pest with a sharp beak and sharper appetite, hasn’t been seen in Southland in nearly six years.

Southland has marked this milestone thanks to proactive biosecurity efforts and strong community support.

The rook is a purplish-black crow-like bird with bare beak. They are a third bigger than the smaller black and white magpie.

It was originally introduced to New Zealand between 1862 and 1873 to control insect populations and quickly became problematic. With no natural predators and an abundance of food, their numbers surged across the country.

Environment Southland’s team leader biosecurity animals Dave Burgess said the Council has worked closely with the Otago Regional Council to reduce rook populations across both regions.

“We believe there is no longer a population in Southland because there have been no confirmed sightings in the last six years,” Dave Burgess said.

Historically, rooks were present in areas including Balfour, Eastern Bush, and Motu Valley during the mid-1990s to early 2000s. Continued public awareness and reporting are key to preventing a resurgence.

“We’ve had one-off reports, but when followed up, we have not found any sign of live birds.”

Despite this success, the risk of re-establishment remains. Rooks are most active in spring, and transient birds from Otago have occasionally been spotted in areas such as Kaiwera and Pukerau.

“We’re asking the public to remain vigilant and report any sightings, especially during spring,” Dave Burgess said.

“While we don’t expect to see a rook chilling on the top of a lamppost in central Invercargill, it still pays to keep an eye out for them on farmland or at the top of tall pines or southern blue gums.”

For more information on rook identification and to report any sightings visit pesthub.es.govt.nz and help keep Southland rook-free.

For more information, please contact the communications team on 0800 76 88 45 or email communications@es.govt.nz