Although the total kerer? population is a tiny fraction of what it was before people arrived, the species is still widely distributed through New Zealand. Good populations exist in the Northland, Auckland, Taranaki, Wanganui, inland Hawkes Bay, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast and Fiordland regions. A comparison of results from surveys carried out by the Ornithological Society of New Zealand in 1969 -79 and 1999 -2004 has shown a marked increase in the number of map squares in which kerer? were found.

This improvement in the kerer? population has come about largely as a result of introduced mammal control activities in native forests by a variety of groups, especially regional and local councils, Department of Conservation, Animal Health Board, land care groups and private individuals. As a result of this increased distribution and abundance of kerer? during the past 25 years, the Department of Conservation changed the threat status of the species in 2008 from ‘gradual decline' to ‘not threatened'. That said, under half of all of New Zealand's remaining forests are subject to this introduced mammal control.

All of modern conservation science recognises that no species exists alone and nor can it be saved alone. Conservation of any species depends on conservation of a functioning ecosystem with its complex web of relationships between its component species - both plants and animals, including humans.

The public have a vital role to play in kerer? conservation, and DOC management plans now include community consultation and/or involvement. For example, public education has helped to reverse the decline of the parea (Chatham Island pigeon), whose numbers had dipped severely in the 1980s. Educating farmers about the importance of fencing out stock from forest patches and controlling cats and possums has helped boost parea numbers.

In some areas of the world, the concept of "citizen science" is being used to assist with conservation. Under this concept, researchers and keen members of the public collaborate to collect and analyse data about flora and fauna in a variety of habitats. This concept underpins the Kerer? Discovery Project's request that people log their sightings of kerer? via our website. In this way we are building up a database of locations and activities of kerer? which will help understand their behavioural ecology. Some of us involved in such projects have recently suggested that urban residential areas should be considered as important potential contributors to the conservation of species previously only thought of as living in the "wild". You can read more about this here.