Rangatira Island, and a Chatham petrel marked temporarily with twink (images: A. Ballance)
Chatham petrels are one of the rarest seabirds in the world. By the end of the 1980s just eight breeding pairs were known on their only breeding site, Rangatira or South East Island. After two decades of active management the population is now estimated to be 1000 birds, with about 250 breeding pairs. The species declined during the farming era on Rangatira, when the island's forest was largely cleared, and although the forest has regenerated competition from broad-billed prions for breeding burrows is now the major threat.
In the second episode of the Chatham Island series Alison Ballance joins Department of Conservation seabird scientist Graeme Taylor, ranger Abi Liddy and NIWA's Matt Rayner as they check all known breeding burrows on Rangatira, to find out what measures are in place to safeguard Chatham petrel nests. The team are retrieving tiny data loggers that will show for the first time where Chatham petrels go to in their non-breeding season. As well, Alison discovers about wearing 'petrel boards' on a seabird island.
Abi Liddy holding a Chatham petrel, datalogger attached to leg of a petrel, and Graeme Taylor measuring a petrel egg (images: A. Ballance)
