Illustrator Jamie Watts has produced a new poster in his albatross series, this time illustrated 12 taxa that breed in New Zealand. The adult birds are illustrated standing and in flight.

The new release comes at a good time with a just few days left to vote for the Antipodean Albatross as your No. 1 preference in New Zealand’s ‘Bird of the Year (‘BOTY 2020’) competition.  So far it seems this globally Endangered and Nationally Critical species is leading the competition.  The New Zealand NGO Southern Seabirds Solutions Trust says on its Facebook Page that if “the Toroa (Antipodean Albatross) wins it will help … to attract support for important work to improve fishing practices on high seas vessels.”

An Antipodean Albatross off Kaikoura, photograph by Kerry-Jayne Wilson

Jamie’s albatross posters (and his others including of penguins and marine mammals) are available for purchase from JamieWattsArt in two size options (50 x 70 cm and 61 x 91 cm).  He has previously informed ACAP Latest News that his posters are professionally printed on high-quality A3 satin matt photo paper from 12 to 20 megapixel, hand-produced originals and are mailed in a tube.

With thanks to Jamie Watts, who has allowed his posters to be used to help promote this year’s inaugural World Albatross Day.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 November 2020

Downed fledgling Westland Petrels ready  for release

Good news for New Zealand’s endemic globally Endangered and nationally Naturally Uncommon Westland Petrel Procellaria westlandica comes from the Westland Petrel Conservation Trust via recent posts to its Facebook Page: “After 12 months of discussion with the NZTA [Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency] about the streetlight upgrade in Punakaiki causing Westland Petrel fallout, the most pragmatic and best possible outcome has been confirmed.  The street lights are going to be switched off for all of fledging season!”  The birds become disoriented by the light and crash-land on to the road, where they are often severely injured, struck by cars or eaten by predators.

The threatened Westland Petrel or Taiko is an ACAP-listed species endemic to New Zealand’s South Island and only to be found breeding at a single locality close to Punakaiki.  A s a result of the discussions 15 street lights have been switched off as a trial along a 3.4-km section of the state highway for two months from 8 November to 8 January when the fledglings leave their nest burrows (click here) - to great effect as illustrated below.

On the other side of South Island adults and fledglings of the Nationally Vulnerable and globally Endangered Hutton’s Shearwater or Kaikōura Tītī Puffinus huttoni leaving their mountain burrows crash land after becoming disoriented by artificial lights in the town (click here).  Unlike in Punakaiki, it seems there are no plans to turn off the street lights in Kaikōura because it has a lot more traffic and people.  However, the Hutton’s Shearwater Charitable Trust has posted on its Facebook Page that the Kaikōura District Council is currently proposing to replace all of the township’s streetlights with “wildlife-friendly LED luminaries”.  The trust is urging Kaikōura residents to turn off non-essential outside lights, close curtains at night, keep cats and dogs inside at night and drive carefully particularly from mid-March to early April – when fledging takes place.

A road-killed Hutton's Shearwater in a Kaikōura street

Read earlier posts to ACAP Latest News on the deleterious effects of street lighting on both Westland Petrels and Hutton’s Shearwaters.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 11 October 2020

Westland Petrel; photograph by Susan Waugh

Susan Waugh (Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Wellington, New Zealand) and colleagues have published in the open-access journal Marine Ornithology on storms affecting globally Endangered and nationally Naturally Uncommon Westland Petrels Procellaria westlandica at their sole breeding site.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“The density and distribution of Westland Petrel burrows was assessed over a 12-year period (2007-2019).  During that time, burrow density increased while occupancy remained stable, commensurate with an annual population growth rate of 1.022 (95% confidence interval: 0.971-1.076), as estimated using mark recapture data.  From our surveys, we estimated a 2019 baseline population of ~6 200 breeding pairs and a world population of 13 800-17 600 individuals, covering around 95% of the population.  Transects were conducted to establish the location and density of 17 petrel sub-colonies in rugged, untracked terrain in Paparoa National Park, West Coast, New Zealand. Major storms in 2014-2018 caused widespread treefall and landslides, destroying breeding habitat throughout the species' breeding range. Demographic effects of the major and ongoing habitat loss may continue in the medium to long term, as birds re-establish burrows and partnerships following loss of their habitat. Our study illustrates the complex effects of climate-related disruption on the biology of a long-lived species. With a single nesting area in the West Coast region, climate change will likely have an ongoing influence on the species' global population, since an increase in the frequency of severe weather events, including ex-tropical cyclones, is expected. However, current indications suggest that the species has some flexibility to adapt and to occupy new areas following habitat disturbance.”

Reference:

Waugh, S.M, Barbraud, C., Delord, K., Simister, K.L.J., Baker, G.B., Hedley, G.K., Wilson, K.-J. & Rands, D.R.D. 2020.  Trends in density, abundance, and response to storm damage for Westland Petrels Procellaria westlandica, 2007-2019.  Marine Ornithology 48: 273-281.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 10 November 2020

Satellite tracks of Black Petrels prior to egg laying

Elizabeth ‘Biz’ Bell, Kelvin Floyd and Samantha Ray of Wildlife Management International have recently attached satellite transmitters (Telonics Inc TAV-2617) to 10 ACAP-listed Black Petrels Procellaria parkinsoni in the Mount Hobson /Hirakimata study colony on New Zealand’s Great Barrier Island/Aotea.  The devices are currently tracking pre-laying exodus flights of the nationally and globally Vulnerable petrel, endemic to New Zealand.

A satellite tracker is attached to a Black Petrel

The Black Petrel is one of two ACAP-listed species up for election this year in New Zealand’s annual Bird of the Year competition (‘BOTY2020’); the other being the Antipodean Albatross Diomedea antipodensis.  The competition is now open until 15 November.  You can vote preferentially for up to five birds, so vote for both!

"The light green bird (H-34843) is just less than halfway between New Zealand and South America sitting currently at 4200 km away from Great Barrier Island - not too far from Rapa Iti (French Polynesia)"

Information from Wildlife Management International’s Facebook Page and 'Biz' Bell, with thanks.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 09 November 2020