Finding Nirvana on Atiu the Island of Birds

on Atiu Finding Nirvana the Island of Birds

By Cathy Casey

Enthusiastic amateur bird photographer Cathy Casey finds her nirvana on the Island of Atiu in the Cook Islands where she goes troppo trying to sight and photograph three of the rarest birds in the world.

As a keen bird photographer, when I found the Island of Atiu on my internet search of the Cook Islands, I knew I had to go. The reviews were unequivocal - Atiu is the best bird watching site among the 13 Cook Islands:

“If you love birds, you should head to the island of Atiu, which literally means ‘land of birds’. There are more species there than on any other Cook Island, including some of the rarest in the world. The Rarotonga flycatcher, which is endangered and the kopeka or Atiu swiftlet of which there are only about 500 are two of the species that you could see. (1)

In 1980 there were eight land birds on Atui and two of those - the kopeka (Atiu swiftlet) and the kakerori (Rarotonga flycatcher) - were at that time critically endangered. (2)

The bird that graces the cover of Holyoak’s book is Atiu’s chattering kingfisher. The colouring of the Atiu kingfisher is unique to the island.

I focused my internet search on the three rare species that Holyoak had identified on Atiu -the kopeka (Atiu swiftlet), chattering kingfisher and kakerori (Rarotonga flycatcher). Each bird posed its own photographic challenge:

Kopeka (Atiu swiftlet)

The kopeka has an estimated population of 400, it is one of the rarest birds in the world. It nests in the recesses of two very dark caves on the island and like a bat, it navigates its way in and out by sonar. Once out of the cave the kopeka is an aerial feeder around Atiu, catching insects in the air and gathering nesting material without landing. I found very few photographs of the kopeka, presumably because of difficulty in reaching its cave nesting sites.

I had booked a cave tour to Anatakitaki, the home of the kopeka but I was not at all sure whether I would even be allowed to take photos in the cave. The few photos of the kopeka that I found were taken in the cave with flash. To do likewise, I would need to carry my camera gear. Relying as I do on a hand-held DSLR camera and lighting from a torch, head lamp and my camera’s internal flash, I wasn’t sure I had the the recipe for a successful dark shoot.

Chattering Kingfisher

The chattering kingfisher on Atiu is a subspecies of the chattering kingfisher that populates both the Cook Islands and the Society Islands. The Atiu bird has unique colouring differentiating it off from its near neighbour on the island of Mauke, the adults of the Atiu population have the top of their head mostly white. In immature Atiu birds the top of the head is blue-green.

In New Zealand, the kōtare (sacred kingfisher) is one of my favourite birds to photograph. I also know it is a shy bird that spooks easily. I was hopeful that Birdman George might help me with locating its Atiu cousin.

Kakerori (Rarotonga flycatcher) The kakerori is only found in Rarotonga and Atui and like the kopeka is critically endangered. It is currently estimated that there are 200 kakerori in one forested site on Rarotonga and 50 on Atiu. The birds were re-introduced to Atiu in 2001. Kakerori feed on small insects on shrubs and twigs near the ground and to mid height in trees. They are coloured an attractive yellow-orange colour as fledglings, with feathers turning to grey after maturity.

I had booked a tour on Atiu with Birdman George. I was hoping George would help me locate the kakerori in all its distinctly coloured life stages.

By the time I left for the Cook Islands in July, I could give a TedX talk on each of my chosen species. Now all I needed to do was to locate and photograph them.

The beautiful island of Atui is a paradise of untouched rainforest and coastal bush surrounded by a shallow coral reef. From the small plane we could see the lush round atoll with its unsealed track circling the island. Atiu has a circumference of roughly 30km. The village is in the middle of the island and is dwarfed by the surrounding lush rainforest. It boasts the only sealed roads.

For the technically minded, I had with me my Canon 7D Mark ll and my Tamron 150-600mm lens. As a backstop I had my point-and shoot, my Canon Powershot SX60. These two cameras were with me for my entire time on Atiu, so scared was I to miss a sighting! I use both cameras handheld. I also kept a journal, recording sightings and information I learned about the birds I was seeking. of our visit to Atiu.(3) Anatakitaki is a three chambered cave, described in the tourist brochures as “a national treasure” and “an unforgettable nature experience”. Our local guide Ben Isaia picked us up at 9am and we rode on the back of his flatbed truck until we ran out of track. Then we picked up sticks to help navigate the long, undulating hike over the makatea (raised coral) through the bush to the cave entrance. Thankfully at the cave entrance was a ladder to assist the steep descent into Anatakitaki. I had minimised my camera gear to lighten the load, but I was still carrying 3.5kgs.

We walked in silence through the depths of Anatakitaki marvelling at the stalagmites and stalactites and the amazing underground rock formations.

In the last chamber of the cave, we heard the staccato clicking of a kopeka bird in the darkness. The clicks help their echo-location in the dark. Sadly, on this day, a sighting of the bird was not to be. It seems the birds leave the cave and return twice a day. No-one is entirely sure when the best time is for the cave visit. The only time their presence can be guaranteed is after dark. Not sure any local

Capture One: Into the Darkness to Catch the Kopeka

The kopeka was always going to be the most difficult bird to photograph. Our cave tour to Anatakitaki to find the kopeka was our first outing on day one

All was not lost however, there was still the opportunity of catching the kopeka in flight over the island. Locals were very helpful about the times and places the birds frequently flew over. The trouble is they are small and fast, fly high and constantly change direction, like the welcome swallows in New Zealand. They are not called a swiftlet for nothing. Unlike the diving swallow however, the kopeka does not come down to earth.

Undaunted, every night between 5pm and sundown I positioned myself in a wide open space in the bush near our accommodation and waited. I must have shot hundreds of kopeka high in the sky, gathering a final few flying morsels before flying back to Anatakitaki. I can’t tell you the excitement with which I checked through my captures to see if I had any keepers.

Over the four days, I took 754 shots of the kopeka in flight as it returned to its nesting sight. It wasn’t until I got home, I was able to see that less than ten of those were focused and only three of those were keepers.

As an amateur photographer, I am very proud to have captured images of one of the world’s rarest birds. The sharpest image I have has been used in the title on pg 72.

Finally, I am very proud that on my last evening on Atiu, I shot 236 frames as the kopeka flew overhead and I got what I consider to be my best shot - a little kopeka heading back to Anatakitaki feeding on the wing.

Capture Two: A Chat with the Chattering Kingfisher

I had three separate sightings of the chattering kingfisher on Atiu and was privileged to have a keeper picture from each shoot.

My first nose to beak moment with the chattering kingfisher came within one hour of landing on Atiu. We were being driven from the airport to our accommodation in Atiu Villas in a 4WD by Jackey, our host for the stay. My partner Kees spotted the chattering kingfisher from the passenger seat. I scrambled out of the back seat with my trusty point-and-shoot. My bird camera and lens was still packed away for travel. The bird seemed curious more than nervous and let me get within about five metres. I knew from its blue-green head that this was an immature bird.

My best picture of the adult chattering kingfisher was taken on our final day in Atiu near the end of our eco tour with Birdman George. We were riding on the back of George Mateariki’s flatbed truck when eagle-eyed Kees spotted it in a tree next to the roadside. The bird was very striking with its pure white head. It seemed unfazed by my presence and let me get within five metres.

My final keeper was from the same shoot. The kingfisher flew to a tree across the road which gave me another lovely adult portrait in different lighting conditions.

Capture Three: The Kakerori (Rarotonga flycatcher)

Unbelievably, I had more clear sightings of the rare kakerori on Atui than any other bird species. Given there are probably only an estimated fifty at large, I was astounded by their curiosity and fearlessness. The cheekiness of the kakerori reminded me of the NZ pīwakawaka.

My first sighting of the the kakerori was within minutes of arriving at Atiu Villas, during a chat with our host Jackey on the deck of our villa. A small yellow-orange bird flew within two metres of where we were sitting – an immature kakerori. My mouth gaped open at its closeness. I reached for my point-and shoot as my bird lens was still packed for travel. It might not have been my best shot of the trip, but it was one of my most exciting. After four days of the birds visiting our back garden, I was spoiled for choice of immature kakerori pictures.

Every day it was another chance for the little kakerori to show me their best side and I was truly spoiled for choice. Sometimes as many as four youngsters flew in. When I recall that in 2001, there were only 28 birds left in Rarotonga, their resettling and breeding on Atiu is a small miracle. Without doubt, my favourite photograph is of two kakerori in one shot. I managed to capture them squabbling over a recently caught fly!

Our day out touring the island with Birdman George was my opportunity to sight the adult kakerori. (4) Unlike the youngsters around the villas, the adults are more hesitant and confine themselves to forested rainforest canopies that surround the island. George Mateariki has been involved in monitoring the kakerori on the island since their reintroduction in 2001.

We stood in one spot deep in the forest while he called to it. We held our breath. Unbelievably after about ten minutes, it showed itself high up in the canopy. I tried hard to get a shot but it was too quick and too far away. A sighting will have to suffice, a photograph of the grey adult kakerori will have to wait for another day.

But Wait, There’s More

On our tour I learned from Birdman George about the reintroduction of the kura (Rimatar a lorikeet) to Atiu. It was once common on Atiu but was hunted to extinction for its red feathers. In 2008, 27 kura were relocated from the nearby island of Rimatara where the only remaining population was under threat by the ship rat. George was responsible for monitoring the relocation of the birds.

To aid the kura’s re-settlement, the Government decided to eradicate the Indian mynah bird, present in thousands on Atiu. They provided a bounty of $1 a bird. George says the last mynah on Atiu had a $350 bounty on its head.

Since the eradication of the mynah, the kura and birdlife generally on Atiu has thrived. On our bird tour Birdman George’s clever bird calls, brought three kura into focus.

I found my nirvana on Atui. Not only did I sight and photograph the rare kopeka, chattering kingfisher and kakerori, I also got up close and personal with the kura. I can only thank locals Ben Isaia and George Mateariki for their care in ensuring that an amateur photographer at large went home to New Zealand with a bulging journal, 4,400 frames of photographs and a smile as wide as David Attenborough’s.

(1) Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/ShowTopic-g294330-i8752k4592201-Bird_watching_on_Rarotonga-Avarua_Rarotonga_Southern_Cook_

Islands.html (2) Guide to Cook Islands Birds by D.T. Holyoak published by the Cook Islands

Library and Museum Society (1980) (3) Anatakitaki Cave Tour: https://cookislands.travel/supplier/atiu-eco-adventureanatakitaki-cave-tour (4) Eco Tour with Birdman George: https://cookislands.travel/supplier/birdmangeorge-eco-tours