Project Bellbird: Bringing bellbird back 

Imagine waking each morning to hear the distinctive song of New Zealand’s native bellbird outside your window. Project Bellbird aims to bring the Waipu community together to control rats and possums in the village, and restore habitat in nearby areas, so that the bellbirds and other native wildlife come back to Waipu.

With its distinctive song, the bellbird is an iconic NZ species that is not regularly heard in Northland but as a result of conservation efforts, including extensive pest control across the ranges, the bellbird is gradually returning including birds successfully breeding in several conservation blocks. Its appearance in Waipu gardens will be a sure sign our ecosystem is recovering and we’re getting it right with predator control.

Project Bellbird aims to get everyone in Waipu working together to restore nature, protect our native wildlife, and build a predator-free future. The project aims to:
1:  Reduce rats and possums in the Village by encouraging households and businesses to set traps on their properties.
2: Create an ecological corridor for the birds from the Waionehu Stream catchment to Waipu Village, working with landowners to restore habitat and trap predators.

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It takes a village

We’re calling on schools, businesses, residents and local groups to help ensure a predator-free Waipu. We are mainly targeting rats with our backyard trapping, as our monitoring has found that these are the most abundant predators in urban areas. Rat traps are easy to manage for everyone who wants to get involved.

If you live close to bush areas, possums may also be an issue. Our team can set up possum traps where they are a problem, and check and maintain these traps. Reducing the number of possums in our town will allow native plants and trees to recover and regenerate, as well as keep the fruit in your orchard for your enjoyment.

We have set up a trapping ‘buffer zone’ around the Waipu village perimeter and waterways targeting mustelids and continue to set, service and monitor these traps. 

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Become a backyard legend

Help us get rid of these harmful pests from our gardens and our town - become a backyard legend. One in every five Waipu backyards is enough to make a real difference to our native wildlife and our environment.

Waipu households can borrow a T-rex rat trap from our trap library. We will provide instructions on how to use the traps, as well as non-edible peanut butter bait (kindly donated by Pics).   Traps should be laid where you see droppings or eaten plants, along fence lines, near compost or rubbish bins, or at the base of trees. Click here for trapping guidance.

Check your trap regularly and record your catch. This information is essential in tracking our progress. To safely dispose of your catch, double-bag it and put it in the rubbish or bury it in the garden, deep enough that pets can’t get to it. Be sure to wear gloves when handling the traps and to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

CLICK HERE to request a trap
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How will we know it’s working?

We’ll know we’re making progress when we’re catching fewer rats and possums in our traps. But the real measure of our success is not about what we are removing, but what is coming back - when bellbird, tui, fantail, kereru and other native birds return to our gardens and backyards. Sightings are not common in the ranges close to Waipu but birds are nesting in the ranges closer to the east. If we get it right for bellbird, we’re getting it right for other native species.

Contact Us

We will reply as soon as possible

Send us an email

We will likely be out doing traps but leave us a message!

Call 022 681 8909

We need your help

If trapping’s not for you, you can get involved with Project Bellbird in other ways.
● Make a donation: $30 provides a rat trap; $80 provides a possum trap; $100 funds a mustelid trap for the buffer zone, and $500 helps us with our project monitoring, coordination and community outreach. DONATE HERE
● Get your neighbours and friends involved.
● Be part of our biodiversity monitoring to make sure we’re hitting our goals.
● Volunteer with us and other predator-control projects, or help out with our community native plant nursery, weeding, catchment groups or planting. It’s a great way to learn new skills, meet like-minded people, and make a difference to our natural spaces here

For more information

Practical trapping guides and information, including on predator species, and a seasonable trapping guide, can be downloaded from our website here

New Zealand has some fantastic information about keeping your home and garden free of rats, stoats and possums here or watch this online video about trapping in your backyard here

Free online bird identification course (Department of Conservation): Learning about the appearance, calls, and habitat of the birds will help you accurately identify these birds when we do our Five-Minute Bird Monitoring (5MBMs) – or when they start to appear at your place. It takes about 5–10 minutes per bird to complete. here

Can you tell the difference between a tui and a bellbird? 

Click here to listen to a male bellbird                Click here to listen to a tui

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Frequently Asked Questions about the project

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