Survey and monitoring of black petrels on Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island 2014/15
Introduction
Read the reports on the black petrel studies on Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island) and Little Barrier Island in 2014/15. Published September 2015.Download the publication
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.