Forestry contractors are used to being attacked by falcons protecting their nests, but it can still be a painful ordeal, so wearing head and eye gear to protect against aerial bombardment is a standard part of the daily routine.
Local forestry companies have now banded together with conservationists to help research and manage seemingly increasing populations of falcons in local forestry operations.
A study of the nesting habits of the birds has discovered that they are thriving in local plantations, nesting in the slash or debris of recently logged areas — which puts them into direct contact with loggers.
Parker Conservation partner Graham Parker said there were attractions to forested areas including pest control and easy nesting areas.
He said early estimates were there were more than 40 pairs of nesting falcons in the study area around Dunedin.
Parker Conservation’s research project has spanned four years to date, sponsored by the major forestry interests City Forests, Wenita and Rayonier-Matariki, as well as the Dunedin City and Otago Regional councils.
This week it landed an additional $60,000 in funding through the national forest growers levy trust, to support research and expand the programme’s coverage.
Mr Parker said while the aim was to understand the population size, breeding success and survival rates of the bird, the study also focused on "conflict resolution" between commercial interests and plantation-based falcon populations.
Based largely on current and prior research, the Forestry Stewardship Council has mandated that forestry companies consciously act to protect breeding falcons, essentially by backing off and having no activity within 200 metres.
"In a practical sense, however, that can be difficult ... and could have major issues on harvesting."
Mr Parker said that the issue was not limited to plantations in Otago.
"Outside of the 2900sqkm Kaingaroa Forest in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand doesn’t have a lot of contiguous plantation forest.
"Rather, forestry is more often characterised as a habitat mosaic ... so we need to better understand how falcons use the habitat mosaic."
