Success for Fairy Tern at Kaipara Harbour

Media Release
10 January 2007

Success for Fairy Tern at Kaipara Harbour for the first time in five years

One of New Zealand's rarest birds, the New Zealand fairy tern, has been boosted by a chick successfully fledging at Papakanui Spit on the Kaipara Harbour, for the first time in five years.

With a total population of between 35-40 birds, the New Zealand fairy tern is critically endangered, and has teetered on the brink of extinction since the 1970s.

Department of Conservation (DOC) Biodiversity Manager, Thelma Wilson, said it was an important development as chicks are more likely to survive once they are at the flying stage.

The chick was hatched from an egg that was transported to the safety of Auckland Zoo for most of its incubation period, and then returned to its parents just prior to hatching. The parents continued to incubate a dummy egg in the meantime.

Fairy terns nest on shell and sand banks just above high tide, which leaves them vulnerable to predators, disturbance by people, 4WD vehicles and dogs. They are also at risk from stormy weather and very high tides. "The birds can not be transported to predator-free offshore islands because they are very particular about where they nest, and the chicks can not be raised in captivity as they have to be taught by their parents to dive for fish," said Ms Wilson.

"The population is slowly increasing thanks to greater protection and monitoring, but there is still a long way to go before they can be taken off the endangered list," Ms Wilson said.

A dedicated team of wardens and volunteers have been busy since September trapping for predators near nesting sites and preventing nesting birds from being disturbed by humans.

Once widespread around the North Island and on the eastern South Island, the New Zealand fairy tern now breeds at only four nesting sites, found at Papakanui Spit, Pakiri, Waipu and Mangawhai. Only thirteen breeding pairs of birds remain.

To help New Zealand fairy terns: * Stay out of fenced areas and used designated walkways * Avoid shorebird nests and chicks * Keep dogs on leads * Remove bait, fish and rubbish to deter predators * Run vehicles below the tide mark * If you are being chased, squawked at, or if a bird is on the ground pretending to be injured, you are too close to a nest * If you find a nest do not touch it. The parent birds will be close by.

ENDS

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