Survey and monitoring of black petrels on Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island 2014/15

Published:  

September 2015
Read the reports on the black petrel studies on Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island) and Little Barrier Island in 2014/15

Summary

Great Barrier Island

This report is part of the ongoing study of the black petrel, Procellaria parkinsoni, on Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island) that was begun in the 1995/96 breeding season. During the 2014/15 breeding season, 422 study burrows within the 35-ha study area near Mount Hobson/Hirakimata were checked and intensively monitored. Of these, 283 were used by breeding pairs, 100 by non-breeding adults and the remaining 39 burrows were non-occupied. By 28 April 2015, 199 chicks were still present in the study burrows, corresponding to a breeding success of 70.3%.

Nine census grids were monitored within the study area and accounted for 159 of the inspected burrows, with 97 burrows being used for breeding. Eighty-nine chicks from earlier breeding seasons were recaptured within the Mount Hobson colony area this season (a total of 194 ‘returned chicks’ have been caught since the 1999/2000 season). Analysis of the stratified census grid and mean transect data estimated that there were 2296 to 2606 birds present in the 35-ha area around Mount Hobson (Hirakimata).

Little Barrier Island

This report covers the preliminary survey and population monitoring of black petrels, Procellaria parkinsoni, on Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island. On Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island, 123 study burrows were monitored, of which 90 were original study burrows established in 1997 by Mike Imber. Twenty-seven automated acoustic devices were placed out across Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island in December 2014 and were retrieved in May 2015.

Black petrel calls were recorded at four locations: Track 7, Track 3, the Thumb (on both recording devices) and along Track 8. Three surveys methods using random transects, census grids or seabird-detector dogs were trialled to determine the best method for an island-wide survey to determine the population density and range of black petrels on Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island.

Publication information

Bell, E. A., Mischler, C., Sim, J. L., & Scofield, P. 2015. Population parameters of the black petrels (Procellaria parkinsoni) on Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island), 2014/15. Report prepared by Wildlife Management International for the New Zealand Department of Conservation, Wellington. 49p.

Bell, E. A., Mischler, C., & Sim, J. L. 2015. Preliminary survey and population monitoring of black petrels (Procellaria parkinsoni) on Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island, 2014/15. Report prepared by Wildlife Management International for the New Zealand Department of Conservation, Wellington. 16p.

Contact

Conservation Services Programme
Department of Conservation
PO Box 10-420
Wellington 6143

Email: csp@doc.govt.nz

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