Search for the South Island Kōkako

I need you help to rediscover a native bird species.

Kia ora,

My name is Dan Gold. I'm a photographer from Ōtautahi / Christchurch. I'm passionate about our native fauna and those trying to conserve it.

We have some amazing animals in our country but unfortunately many have become extinct. However there's one special bird called the South Island Kōkako which we have a chance to rediscover. This bird used to be thought extinct except every year there are new sightings. DOC have now upgraded it from "extinct" to "data deficient" due to these encounters.

Unfortunately, no one has been able to prove it still exists (with a photo or recording) just yet, however there are an amazing group of people (the South Island Kōkako Charitable Trust) doing their absolute best to rediscover it. This leads me to my photography project - I want to document the search for this wonderful native treasure (a cousin of the Huia), celebrate those conservationist seeking out this "Grey Ghost" and visualise how our wonderful native bird species influence our sense of national identity (we are Kiwi).

With my heavy analogue cameras, camouflage suit and boundless hope - I want to create images over the coming 3-4 years of the search for this bird with the aim of creating a photobook and exhibiting the work afterwards. Contributions towards my Boosted campaign will directly help fund film, developing and travel to make this happen.

Thanks for reading.

Just imagine if we could rediscover a native bird species..