Well camouflaged among shells and sand, a tiny fairy tern chick sits beside an egg (centre). They are so small, they would barely count as a canapé for a hungry predator, yet stoats, rats, hedgehogs, cats, dogs and gulls pick them out. New Zealand’s subspecies of fairy tern is extremely endangered. The Department of Conservation (DOC) is attempting to save them from extinction by protecting them from predators and vehicles. Just four pairs were breeding in 1996, but in 2015 DOC estimated that there were now about 12 breeding pairs.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Department of Conservation
Reference:
10026326
Photograph by G. R. Parrish
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.
Tāpiritia te tākupu hou