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Sea-birding in New Zealand:
by Duncan Poyser

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The New Zealand sub-Antarctic islands are renowned for their concentrations of breeding seabirds - Penguins, Petrels and Albatrosses. These islands are expensive and difficult to reach even when based here in NZ. However having spent 8 months birding in NZ one of the major highlights has been the quality and quantity of seabirds around and off the coast of both the North and South Island.



Seawatching has been productive but most seabirds are not encountered as chance fly-bys. The proliferation of opportunities to get onto the water on ferries, tourist cruises and specialised pelagics has provided many up close and personal encounters with Shearwaters, Prions, Petrels and Albatrosses. In addition to the ocean wanderers there are three species of Penguin breeding on the main islands, 7 species of Shag, 3 species of Gull and 5 species of Tern.

The flavour of seabirding is seasonal with the austral winter being best for sub-Antarctic breeders wandering the oceans post breeding and the austral summer months better for the breeding Shearwaters and Petrels. Terns and Shags are near enough resident and there are some species such as Grey-faced Petrel that are winter breeders. For ease of reference I have used the names given in Harrison's - Photographic guide to the seabirds of the world.

Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands is on the east coast of the North Island, a 3hr drive North of Auckland. Coastal views from Highway 1 afford distant glimpses of important breeding areas for seabirds like the Hen and Chicken Islands and Poor Knights Island. Looking offshore during the summer months (Nov - Feb) puts you bang in the middle of a feeding frenzy for millions of Shearwaters. Looking out towards the Hen and Chicken Islands there are thousand strong feeding flocks containing Bullers, Fluttering and Flesh-footed Shearwater. Taking the Dolphin Watch cruise into the Bay of Islands involves carving through large rafts of these Shearwaters, giving exceptional views.

bird photo - White-fronted Tern

As well as the Shearwaters, Little Blue Penguins bob around and wintering Arctic Skuas harass the local White-fronted Terns. Bottle-nosed, Common and Dusky Dolphins are seen regularly and get the right trip and Orcas, Humpback and Sperm Whale are all possibilities. Taking a longer cruise out beyond Cape Brett could produce Common Diving Petrels, Fairy Prion, White-faced Storm Petrel and Little Shearwater (which breeds on nearby islands). At the northern tip of New Zealand Black-winged Petrel are increasingly seen during the summer prospecting over offshore islands and some headlands.

Auckland

Most visitors to NZ will arrive at Auckland. Situated on the western shore of the Hauraki Gulf there are good opportunities to get into the feeding grounds of some specialities. Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island are situated some 70km into the Gulf and support breeding Pycrofts, Cooks, Grey-faced, Parkinsons (Black) and White-faced Storm Petrels. A catamaran ferry skims out to Great Barrier Island through waters where these species may be encountered, with luck, and also allows you to get to grips with endemic Brown Teal and Kaka on the island itself. A must for any birder in NZ is a visit to the predator free island of Tiritiri Matangi, 30 km North of the Auckland City center, where endangered endemics abound. The short trip across to this amazing island in summer will produce Bullers and Fluttering Shearwaters, Australasian Gannets and Little Blue Penguins. An overnight stay in the spring will allow you to experience Grey-faced Petrels returning to their burrows.


A day trip to the West of the city can take in the fantastic Gannetry at Muriwai and endemic Spotted Shags at Bethells Beach, Grey-faced Petrel and Little Blue Penguin also nest nearby. Around Auckland Shags can be seen around any stretch of water with Pied, Little Pied and Little Black common. The striking New Zealand Dabchick can also be found on some waters and Caspian Terns are regular.

Cook Strait

Cook Strait is the stretch of water separating the North Island from the South Island (Mainland). A deep-water trench runs through the centre of the strait. Currents along this trench are forced upwards bringing krill up to the surface, the proliferation of organisms attracted to this food supply in turn attracts seabirds. A winter trip is preferable to pick up the Albatross although numbers of the endemic Huttons Shearwater will be low. On our trip we saw Bullers, Shy, Wandering and Black browed Albatross, Fairy Prions in abundance, Pintado Petrel (Cape Pigeon), Northern Giant Petrel, Westland Black Petrel, Huttons Shearwater, Fluttering Shearwater, Common Diving Petrel and distant views to White Island which holds breeding King Shag.

Other trip reports and books state a wider range of possibilities including Soft-plumaged, Parkinsons, White-chinned and Cooks Petrel. Birds can be weather dependent and a rough crossing is often better for bird numbers but not so good on the stomach. Cruising into the sheltered Marlborough Sounds of the South Island large rafts of Huttons Shearwaters can be found giving an opportunity to study the finer separation points from Fluttering Shearwater. If you are unhappy with your impossibly distant views of King Shag on your way into the sounds then a water taxi or wildlife tour can take you out to the relevant outcrops. These small colonies in the outer waters of the Marlborough Sounds are the only breeding grounds for this species in the world.

bird photo - Wandering Albatross, Cape Pigeon and Kelp Gull

Kaikoura

Kaikoura, on the eastern coast of the South Island, is the ultimate site for seabirding in New Zealand offering unparalleled views of Albatross and Petrels. The edge of an marine canyon finishes about 2km offshore and the associated feeding opportunities for seabirds and cetaceans are exploited by local entrepreneurs who take out daily whale and dolphin watching trips. A sister company, Oceanwings, takes birders and tourists alike to the shelf to meet some pelagic birds eye to eye. Our first afternoon seawatching from the Fur seal colony car park produced 4 species of Albatross, Cape Pigeon, Huttons Shearwater, Giant Petrel and the highlight - Antarctic Fulmar wheeling around just offshore. Further seawatches produced Little Shearwater and a school of Hectors Dolphin. On the pelagic trip we had the boat to ourselves and within 15 choppy minutes we had a chucked out the chum (sharks liver) and were surrounded by Cape Pigeons. Next in were the Northern Giant Petrels and Wandering Albatross. With the help of the skipper we were able to identify the Wandering to sub species (Gibsons, Snowy and Antipodean), one of the Gibsons was colour rung and coded and hopefully the recovery details will confirm our identification. The Bullers, Black-browed, Shy and Salvins Albatross were more aloof (they wouldn't approach nearer than 10ft!!) and the first of several Royal Albatross cruised around. In total we saw about 15 individual Albatross close up, 100's of Fairy Prions and Cape Pigeon, 5 Northern Great Petrel and 3 Westland Black Petrels. The whole spectacle was breathtaking and a real highlight of our trip. 2 hours were spent out on the shelf and the return journey included a cruise around a large offshore Spotted Shag colony, as a bonus. During the winter large numbers of Black-fronted Tern feed around the bay, dipping to the water surface to feed on insects like their close relatives Whiskered Tern with which they were once con-specific. Black-billed Gulls can also be seen around the town milling with the local Silver Gulls.

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