Southern visitor shelters in Wairoa cemetery

Date:  20 October 2010

Wairoa played host to a tired, confused and stranded young albatross recently, when it was left high and dry in the local cemetery.

More correctly known as a Southern Buller’s mollymawk, it was found by Nicky Bradley, a staff member of the Wairoa District Council.

The Southern Buller's mollymawk
rescued from a Wairoa cemetery

“We were lucky to be able to call on Coast Vet to help us out” said Wairoa Department of Conservation ranger, Helen Jonas.

“The youngster was given the all clear, so we were able to release it quickly.”

Helen believes the juvenile would have been blown in on the storm last week. Due to the fact that birds like this need a high launching site to get airborne, it was stuck in the cemetery until rescued.

“We really appreciate the public calling in these sightings as without their help these animals may not survive.”

The juvenile mollymawk was taken to a cliff on the coast from where it successfully re-launched itself. The Southern Buller’s mollymawk is normally found around The Snares (islands in the Southern Ocean).

Further information

The Northern Buller’s mollymawk returns to the Chatham’s in late September to breed, whereas the Southern Buller’s mollymawk returns to The Snares in mid–December. The chicks fledge in June at the Chatham’s but August-October at The Snares.

The nest is constructed, after the fashion of other mollymawks, by the bird sitting down on the chosen site from which position it reaches out and loosens the soil all around it or, if the vicinity contains vegetation, this is torn to pieces. The debris is placed under the bird as the nest is built higher and higher. The material is added beakful by beakful and patted down with the bill. The bird keeps turning slowly and its feathers become very dirty in the process. Most of the nest building is done by the male, but both birds share in the incubation.

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