Kaikōura’s Little Penguins ‘Hanging On By A Thread’

Friday, 28 March 2025, 8:23 pm
Article: David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter

A community effort is helping to protect the declining population of little penguins / kororā at Kaikōura amid reports of starving chicks and delayed breeding.

Kororā face multiple threats in the area, including tourists searching for the penguins which causes "significant stress" and stops them coming ashore.

The Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust is working with the Kaikōura District Council and the Department of Conservation (DOC) to give white-flippered penguins and blue penguins a fighting chance.

Project BlueBird has been established by the trust to co-ordinate efforts.

Sabrina Luecht, the trust’s volunteer manager and wildlife rehabilitator, said the trust is working on improving breeding habitat, reducing disturbance, rehabilitating rescued penguins and raising awareness.

‘‘We are witnessing delayed moulting and breeding, late clutches, egg abandonment, starving chicks, high fledgling mortality, and decreased adult survival.

‘‘No population can sustain this rate of loss, and the few kororā that remain in Kaikōura are hanging on by a thread.’’

It is thought there are now less than 50 little penguins along the district’s coastline.

Since January, 18 penguins have been supplement fed at one of the remaining breeding sites to boost their changes of survival, Ms Luecht said.

‘‘To put this into context, this equates to the majority of penguins remaining in one area being reliant on intervention.

‘‘Without assistance these would have perished.’’

She said little penguins faced multiple threats, including starvation from decreased ocean productivity, overfishing, climate change and predators.

‘‘Beyond keeping penguins alive, addressing incessant human disturbance is currently critical to give the few remaining kororā a chance.’’

Past efforts to promote a surviving colony near the town has left the little penguins vulnerable, Ms Luecht said.

She said the trust has been liaising with tourism operators, accommodation providers and businesses to stop the promotion of the site as an attraction.

‘‘Visitors who have been informed about sites, create a major welfare issue by seeking to locate penguins.

‘‘This results in significant stress, and inhibits penguins coming ashore in regards to chick feeding, resting or moulting.’’

The trust runs volunteer dusk patrols to manage disturbance impacts on a nightly basis and is working with the council and DOC to increase habitat protection.

The council is working with the trust to create safe zones for little penguins as part of the Wakatu Quay development project and around the wider harbour area.

‘‘Locally it would be wonderful if viewing is not encouraged, and to refrain from drawing attention to penguin habitat,’’ Ms Luecht said.

She said public awareness needed to focus on ‘‘how special and rare kororā are in the region’’.

The little penguin is thought to be the world's smallest penguin.

According to DOC, an adult little penguin is just over 25cm tall and weighs about 1kg.

The trust is entirely run by volunteers and relies on donations and in-kind support.

Its long term goal is to establish purpose-built treatment facilities for unwell wildlife.

To find out more about Project BlueBird go to kaikourawildlifecentre.org/project-bluebird.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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