Project Results

About This Project

The South Georgia Diving Petrel is a tiny, highly specialized, wing-propelled diver; a 'flying penguin'. The New Zealand population is nationally critical and numbers 150 individuals only. Storms are the main terrestrial threat, but offshore threats remain unknown. Complete understanding of all threats is paramount to guide successful conservation management. Thanks to generous backers, it may also be possible to assess juvenile mortality to further fine-tune conservation management.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

New Zealand is the seabird capital of the world, but its grand diversity is under serious threat from various fronts. Most research is addressed towards the at-sea threats of the large and charismatic albatrosses. Smaller species, including the South Georgia Diving Petrel, are often threatened onshore, but may also suffer from offshore threats, which often remain unresolved. Luckily, advancing technology offers a helping hand to assess pelagic threats of smaller seabirds, even of tiny ‘flying penguins’.

What is the significance of this project?

Seabirds are vital to ecosystems. They provide vital ecosystem functions such as the movement of soil and nutrient cycling. The South Georgia Diving Petrel is the only seabird in New Zealand specialized in burrowing in dunes. Therefore this population may consist of dune ecosystem engineers with considerable conservation value. Yes, a small ‘flying penguin’ can shape a whole ecosystem.

Unfortunately, the South Georgia Diving Petrel in New Zealand has suffered massive population losses and is currently limited to Codfish Island (Whenua Hou) west of Stewart Island, New Zealand. The current population numbers only 150 individuals and is consequently considered nationally critical.

What are the goals of the project?

During the 2015/2016 breeding season, I identified storms as the major terrestrial threat to the South Georgia Diving Petrel population. To get a complete understanding of the dangers these little 'flying penguins' face, offshore threats need to be assessed. By using distributional data collected with miniaturized GLS tags, I can infer potential offshore threats. Consequently, I can guide future conservation management to safeguard this species. Protection of this species will result in secured ecosystem functions provided by this species.

In addition, by banding fledging chicks, I can assess juvenile mortality rates. This parameter is likely to be an important part of the population dynamics of this species. Understanding population dynamics is key to designing conservation strategies.