Media release
3 February 2012

Rare storm petrel confirmed breeding in NZ

A team of researchers have collected the best evidence yet that the New Zealand storm petrel, which was thought extinct until 2003, is breeding in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.

Before dawn on Wednesday (1 February) Chris Gaskin, Dr Matt Rayner (University of Auckland), Shane McInnes (DOC) and boat skipper Brett Rathe headed out into the Hauraki Gulf to capture New Zealand storm petrels and identify signs of breeding in the birds. This is no mean feat given NZ storm petrels are small, highly mobile and maneuverable seabirds living on a big ocean.

The team captured five birds with specially designed net guns. Four of them showed signs of breeding with bare “brood patches” on their belly that are used to incubate eggs. The project team, including Department of Conversation seabird expert Graeme Taylor, believe this strongly suggests the birds are breeding locally, with islands within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park the most likely sites.

The New Zealand storm petrel was presumed extinct until its rediscovery by bird watchers in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park in 2003. Since then there has been much speculation as to whether this diminutive 35 g seabird breeds on one of the Gulf’s many islands, or is a visitor to New Zealand waters, breeding elsewhere, and has thus little claim to the name “New Zealand” storm petrel.

Mayor John Tregidga, Chairman of the Hauraki Gulf Forum, welcomed the finding. “It’s wonderful to think that these birds are breeding right now on islands in the outer Hauraki Gulf, quite possibly in sight of where the researchers captured them.”

The team is funded by a Birdlife International Community Conservation Fund grant, and support of the Hauraki Gulf Forum, Department of Conservation, Auckland Council and Forest & Bird.

The team will continue its capture programme through February and March to find out as much as they can about the birds’ breeding cycle. Armed with that information they will determine when would be the best time to try and track birds to their island breeding location using radio tracking devices – once additional funding is secured. New Zealand storm petrels are listed as critically endangered by the International Union of the Conservation of Nature and finding where the species breed is of paramount importance for their conservation.

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