Source: Department of Conservation
Date: 29 January 2025
Johannes Fischer, Department of Conservation Senior Science Advisor, says climate change impacts have the potential to wipe out the Whenua Hou diving petrel – a small seabird with cobalt blue feet that’s “like a flying penguin”.
“Their entire population breeds in the fragile sand dunes of Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, up to 20 m from the high tide line. Rising seas levels and increasingly frequent storms will eventually destroy their habitat on Whenua Hou. Over the last 10 years, 20% of the dune front has already gone,” Johannes says.
On 31 December 2024, 15 Whenua Hou diving petrel chicks were transferred from Whenua Hou to their new home. This is the first of five transfers over the next five years to move a total of 75 chicks – the number considered sufficient to build a new colony without causing any long-term impact to the Whenua Hou colony.
“Before humans arrived in New Zealand, Whenua Hou diving petrels bred all over the southern South Island and there were millions on Stewart Island/Rakiura. But until the recent transfer, they had reduced to a single population on Whenua Hou of just 210 individuals,” Johannes says.
Two years ago, mana whenua, DOC, fishers, the fishing industry, and Environment Southland developed an action plan to restore the petrels, which advised a second population at a new site was needed.
The group worked through a range of possible sites and identified an undisclosed, predator-free location within Whenua Hou diving petrel’s historic range as the best possible option.
All work is done in partnership with the Whenua Hou Committee (the advisory committee to the Minister of Conservation on the management of Whenua Hou), Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka, and Ngāi Tahu whānui.
Johannes says timing was crucial and the transfer had to take place roughly a week before the chicks fledged, before their homing instinct for Whenua Hou was developed.
“We hand-reared the chicks at their new home, and the last chicks fledged on 12 January 2025. Next season, we will translocate another 15 birds.”
“We expect the first group of translocated chicks to return to their new home as adults in October 2026. We’ll keep an eye out in anticipation.”
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