Hihi Release The 5 hihi arrived at Tiritiri Matangi by boat Each box was carefully labelled The release site was in Wattle Valley Rosalie and Ray unscrew the cage The band colours were checked Rosalie releases a female hihi into the forest On February 9, 2001 five hihi arrived from Mt Bruce for release on Tiritiri Matangi. Rosalie came across in the boat after picking up the hihi in boxes from the airport. The boxes have special instructions on the outside so people know what to do with the birds. The bird symbol on the box was circled today but sometimes the boxes contain dogs, fish or turtles. The hihi had been banded at Mt Bruce. This hihi banded has an orange and a metal band on one leg and a metal band on the other. We went down the track into Wattle Valley to the release site for the birds. Ray and Rosalie checked the bands were secure. The five hihi were released into the forest. Tiritiri Matangi is an ideal location to release birds as there are no introduced predators. Later that evening I saw one of the newly released hihi drinking from a water trough. It was exciting to see one of the birds in its new environment on Tiritiri Matangi. Four of the five birds are still alive on Tiritiri Matangi today. Next year's birds from Mt Bruce will be released on to Mokoia or Kapiti Islands.