Source: NZ Department of Conservation
Date: 18 June 2025
Thanks to intensive management of wild nests and a growing hand-rearing programme with Auckland Zoo, this season saw 19 fledglings take to the skies. This is a significant improvement from last year’s nine, and just three the year before.
With fewer than 45 adult birds (over a year old) remaining, every chick is precious. DNA sexing results also revealed a higher-than-normal percentage of females, which could prove a vital boost for a species whose future depends on strong female survival.
DOC’s monitoring and tracking programme provided fascinating insights into the movements of young tara iti. Juveniles fitted with satellite tags, hand reared at Auckland Zoo, surprised the team with their adventurous flights – some completing roundtrips from the Hauraki Gulf to the Far North, and one even travelling as far as New Plymouth and back.
Alex Wilson, DOC Senior Ranger, says one of the birds spotted during post-season monitoring was a zoo-reared juvenile from the 2023–24 season.
“She survived the winter months, making her the first hand-reared bird known to have done so,” says Alex. “These are exciting developments and show our new tools like satellite tagging and hand rearing are working.
“Each fledgling is a step forward, and the information we’re collecting helps us understand how to get the best outcomes from our recovery efforts.”
Post-breeding season monitoring recorded 50 individual tara iti (up from 33 individuals last season), including 28 adults, nine sub-adults and 13 fledglings. DOC’s intensive habitat management, predator control, and head-starting approach proves that when we change how we interact with nature, it has a real impact.
Still, tara iti remain in a precarious position. The population is small, and the birds face ongoing threats from habitat loss, predation, disturbance from human activities, and climate change. Ongoing intensive conservation efforts will be required for many years to secure their survival, and DOC can’t do it alone.
DOC works closely with iwi partners including Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust Board, Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust, Nga Maungawhakahii O Kaipara Development Trust, Ngāti Wai Trust Board, and Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust, strategic partner Auckland Zoo and key supporters and partners including, Auckland Council, the Shorebirds Trust, NZ Fairy Tern Charitable Trust, About Tern, Birds NZ, Tara Iti Golf Club, NZ Nature Fund, and local trapping groups.
Generous support has also been provided by the Endangered Species Foundation, Pākiri Beach Holiday Park, Manāki Whitebait, Tongariro National Trout Centre, and New Zealand King Salmon.
Aotearoa has one of the highest rates of threatened species in the world, and every New Zealander has a role to play in turning this around. Whether it’s supporting conservation efforts, reducing threats in your own backyard, or simply learning more about our native species, what we do makes a difference.
How you can help protect tara iti
- Stay out of fenced nesting areas and use designated walkways.
- Keep dogs on leads and out of reserves.
- Avoid nests and chicks when on beaches and estuaries.
- Don’t drive or cycle on beaches.
- Dispose of rubbish, bait and fish scraps properly to deter predators.
- If a bird swoops at you or appears injured, move away quickly – you’re likely near a nest.
Donate to the tara iti recovery programme
The public can now donate directly to DOC’s Tara iti recovery programme through the New Zealand Nature Fund. Donations will be used to accelerate DOC initiatives, including:
- Developing three to five new safe breeding sites within the bird’s range.
- Creating shell patch habitats at existing and new breeding sites.
- Expanding predator control buffers to better protect all nesting areas.
- Growing the hand-rearing and release programme to boost productivity.
There’s no such thing as too small an action; every donation helps nature, and brings us closer to securing a future for these rare and remarkable birds.
Learn more and donate at New Zealand Nature Fund
Contact
For media enquiries contact:
Email: media@doc.govt.nz
