Signs of South Island kokako Callaeas cinerea near Abut Head, South Westland

About 20 years ago a bird that almost certainly was a South Island kokako or orange wattled crow Callaeas cinerea was seen on a branch on the edge of bush near Abut Head, South Westland. On 2 June 1997 in the same place, I saw a dark bird twice and heard two loud wing beats which matched recorded purported South Island kokako wing beats. Since about the late 1980s several long mournful double notes and one musical organ or flute-like call attributed to South Island kokako have been heard on a bushed hillside about 1.06 km further west. On 24 October 1996 in this area and through binoculars I saw a blue wattle on the right side of a bird's head, and later a bird was seen and heard "clucking" in the same spot. Also, a blue wattle was glimpsed as a bird flew into the same spot. The size, shape and colour of birds was analogous to that of 18 specimens of South Island kokako in the Canterbury Museum. The observations reported here strongly suggest that the very rare South Island kokako is extant near Abut Head.