Adult tara iti pair, one nesting in the sand, another standing neatby.

Help save the New Zealand fairy tern/tara iti

Introduction

Donate to help save the New Zealand fairy tern/tara iti, Aotearoa New Zealand’s most endangered endemic breeding bird.

Why we need to do this work

The tara iti population has fewer than 35 left.

It has a conservation status of Threatened - Nationally Critical.

Tara iti is the smallest tern species found in New Zealand, weighing about 70 g. They are confined to five known breeding locations in New Zealand, all north of Auckland.

The main threats to tara iti are:

  • habitat destruction 
  • predators such as rats, cats and hedgehogs preying on eggs and chicks.
  • environmental events, such as high tides, floods, and storms destroying and washing away nests
  • recreational activities that disturb the birds and scare them away from their nests.

Project goals

This project will help grow the population and protect this endangered bird by:

  • creating habitat for breeding and nesting sites
  • controlling predators and monitoring
  • surveying for tara iti in the Kaipara Harbour during winter
  • raising awareness about tara iti and its coastal ecosystems.

New Zealand Nature Fund (NZNF) logo

We need your help

DOC and the New Zealand Nature Fund (NZNF) are working together to save New Zealand fairy tern/tara iti.

Help us protect New Zealand’s most endangered endemic bird.

Donate now

You can donate to this project through our partner, New Zealand Nature Fund (NZNF). NZNF is a charitable trust responsible for funds donated to this project.

Visit NZNF to donate to tara iti.