A pair of three-month-old kākāpō chicks named Konini and Wendy will be taken back to Codfish Island today after being hand-reared from birth.
The normally flightless birds will take to the air -- albeit by helicopter -- and return to their island home off the Invercargill coast, with Conservation Minister Maggie Barry and Ngāi Tahu representative Tane Davis acting as chaperones.
Wendy is one of two hand-reared kakapo chicks being returned today (Supplied)
The critically endangered duo are two of 36 surviving kākāpō chicks to have hatched, with 24 of those successfully raised by mother birds in the wild -- and Ms Barry says Konini and Wendy's return is "a milestone" for "the entire recovery programme".
"These two chicks were among the most vulnerable 12 young birds who may not have survived if left in the wild, and were taken to the hand-rearing facility in Invercargill for intensive care," she explained.
"Upgraded with the help of offenders on community service, the facility has been vital to ensuring there has been such a high level of chick survival this season."
Ms Barry says the facility has also attracted big crowds on weekends.
The kākāpō will spend another month in an enclosure on the island to acclimatise to the new conditions, before being let free.
The sex of all the chicks will be determined after DNA samples are analysed -- with results to help the Department of Conservation identify how genetically diverse the population on the island is.
"Now is the time to keep the momentum up with the recovery efforts to ensure the kākāpō population continues to strengthen," Ms Barry says.
"Any reduction in effort after this success could see the species slipping back into decline."
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