Tākoketai Black Petrel breeds on a few remote islands such
as Aotea The Barrier, with the main colony on Hirakimata /
Mount Hobson and here at Glenfern.

These rare migratory seabirds are critically endangered with perhaps 2,000 pairs remaining. The most devastating threats to these seabirds are habitat loss, predators (rats and feral cats) and human activities (loss of food sources due to overfishing, with injury and death caused through by-catch and inappropriate fishing methods). Also, ingestion of rubbish especially plastic and pollution.

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They nest in short to medium (0.5-3 m) burrows under old tree roots. Breeding generally occurs from  late September to early March when they lay one egg.

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Habitat restoration 
Ensures they have a safe environment to nest and raise their young.

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Predator control
Regular cat trapping helps to stop predators. We use cameras outside known burrows to monitor our local population. If feral cats can be eradicated from Aotea tākoketai may well re-establish all over the island.

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Monitoring and research 
We track the birds, their breeding success and behaviours. This helps inform conservation efforts.

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Community engagement 
We help raise awareness about these seabirds.

Breeding
Tākoketai Black Petrel are colonial breeders, monogamous, with shared incubation and chick care. Returning to their burrows in the forest in October each year, they find their mate again and lay just one egg per season in December. Chicks hatch in January and both parents feed them until May, when tough love kicks in and the chicks are left to fledge alone and make their way to the East Pacific. They migrate to South American waters during the non-breeding period, congregating in offshore and pelagic waters off Ecuador.

During the non-breeding season, black petrels have been reported off the coasts of Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and Galapagos.

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Young birds return to the colonies when 4-6 years old and first breed when 5-7 years old.

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The survival rate of these chicks is low – only ten percent of fledged birds ever make it back to the colony to breed. 

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Tākoketai Black Petrel rarely call at sea, but are vocal on the ground or approaching the colony at night during the breeding season. When on the ground at the colony, males have a loud, harsh, far-carrying call described as a ‘Clack’; this repeated call peaks just after dark and before dawn and appears to be used to attract females to the burrow location. Females have an ‘Aerial’ call; usually on approach to and above the colony. On the ground, both birds have ‘Squawk’ call when threatened or during territorial disputes and ‘Crooning’ calls when males and females are bonding in the burrow together or bonding with the chick. 

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Resources
You can read more about black petrels here:

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• Tākoketai Black Petrel may live for 30 years or more according to Biz Bell, who has been studying them on Hirakimatā for more than 25 years. Check out the work in action www.gbiet.org/en40bad-forecast-for-black-petrel

• Black Petrel Action Group 

• Teaching Resource Pack (DOC)

• NZ Birds Online Black Petrel Information

• Tākoketai in Medlands