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Conservation feature on the Grey-faced Petrel.
Contributed by Rosemary Tully of Eastern Bay Bird Rescue.
Photos by Rebecca Hart.
In the breeding season of 2000 a study was being done near Whakatane
by Phillipa Gardner (Christchurch) of Grey-faced petrels, using a safety
door on their burrows.
This was a trial for the protection of petrels that are at risk from predators
eating their chicks or eggs.
Unfortunately a high percentage of the chicks in the study were taken
illegally for food.
These birds are protected by law, and illegal harvesting will see these
fragile colonies die out.
If the chicks are taken then there will be no replacement egg laid.
This in time will mean that once the parents die no new adult offspring
will be replacing them.
The birds taken would have weighed no more than 300g and with the feathers
and head removed probably weighed no more than 150g.
 On
a recent trip to Whale Island (Moutohora) in December, the petrels could
be seen just before dusk gathering off the island.
The birds were coming back to feed the young that were nearly due to fledge.
As dusk fell birds would skim over the island looking for their burrows,
they then crash through the trees and head for their nest site.
Sometimes they liked to sit before going underground.
Some birds get caught in the trees as they crash through and die.This
photograph shows Department of Conservation Officer Nancy Willems about
to rescue a Grey-faced petrel caught in a tree on Whale Island.
This bird recovered and was released after some days in care at the Whakatane
bird rescue centre.
This island was once home to goats, rats, and rabbits, and the Wildlife
Service, and then the Department of Conservation eradicated these pests.
It is vital that our islands are kept free of predators and that bait
stations are monitored.
It will only take one rat or stoat to undo all the work of the previous
years.
In April/May (and at other times) the birds can be heard calling during
the night over Ohope and Otarawairere.
One colony at Ohope is against the hillside and on occasions birds crash
into new homes that were not there the previous nesting season.
It must be quite a shock for the birds to suddenly find something blocking
their flight path to their burrows.
The grey-faced petrels have many predators including - stoats, rats,
dogs, illegal harvesting, fire, birds of prey.
By visiting their colonies at night they do not run the risk of being
harassed by birds of prey.
Every year young fledgling grey-faced petrels are brought into Whakatane
bird rescue, as instead of heading out to sea the birds get disorientated
and land in town.
Sometimes heading for the light of night industry such as the Kawerau
paper mills. Once
checked out most of the birds can be released in the evening.
Some years more birds are brought in, this maybe due to the cloudy conditions
(no moon or stars to guide them), or wind conditions.
Strong northerly winds will send the birds towards Whakatane instead of
heading out to sea.
© Ohope Beach.info 2003
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