Codfish Island
| Whenua Hou (Māori) | |
|---|---|
Map of Stewart Island, with Codfish Island to the west.
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| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 46°47′S 167°38′E / 46.783°S 167.633°E |
| Total islands | 1 |
| Area | 14 km2 (5.4 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 249 m (817 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Region | Southland Region |
| Demographics | |
| Population | (?) |
Codfish Island or Whenua Hou is a small island (14 km2 or 5.4 sq mi) located to the west of Stewart Island/Rakiura in southern New Zealand. It reaches a height of 249 m (817 ft) close to the south coast.
The English name refers to the endemic blue cod or rawaru / pakirikiri, which is fished commercially in surrounding waters by trapping in baited pots. Whenua Hou means "new land" in Maori. Codfish Island is home to Sirocco, an internationally famous kakapo, a rare species of parrot.
Following the eradication of possums and the transfer of weka to other islands, Codfish is a predator-free bird sanctuary and the focus of kakapo recovery efforts. It holds the majority of the breeding population of critically endangered kakapo. Its most famous resident is Sirocco, a kakapo born in 1997; Sirocco was the government's "Official Spokesbird for Conservation" in 2010.
Codfish Island is also home to southern short-tailed bats, kākā, fernbirds, red-fronted and yellow-crowned parakeet, Pacific black ducks and a recently introduced population of yellowheads (mohua).
The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because of its significance as a breeding site for several species of seabirds, including Fiordland and yellow-eyed penguins, and mottled, Cook's and South Georgia diving petrels.
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