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Given the frequency with which translocation is implemented as a conservation tool, remarkably little research has assessed the sustainable management of translocation source populations. We sought to quantify population parameters for five endemic island passerines of conservation concern and make an a priori estimate of the impact of harvesting from these populations for translocation under multiple scenarios.

Population parameters for our five focal taxa were quantified using distance sampling, based on 297 point surveys conducted in 2019. Intensive nest monitoring data collected between 2018 and 2020 was used to estimate reproductive rates. We used the long-established simulation tool Vortex to estimate population viability for all five taxa under a range of alternative harvesting scenarios in forward projections over a 25-year period.