At 700 grams, black petrels provide a good daily meal for feral cats. But when hundreds of thousands of these cats catch one bird every day, the number of dead birds becomes staggering. Efforts to reduce the impact of predation have been made by the Department of Conservation and various community groups. Predators have been trapped or poisoned, fenced out of key areas, and eradicated from certain islands. Strategies to attract seabirds to predator-free islands have included playing taped calls over loudspeakers when birds are prospecting for nesting sites, and transferring fledgling chicks to new islands so they will return there to breed. These conservation methods have required continuous commitment and money.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Department of Conservation
Reference:
10035665
Photograph by Dick Veitch
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