Giant petrel arrived via log ship

WELCOME TO WAIKANAE: This 40-year-old Northern Giant Petrel was found on a log vessel in Gisborne on February 3 before being found again on Waikanae Beach. Picture supplied

A Northern Giant Petrel/Pangurunguru that turned up on the East Coast last month was 40 years old.

The bird arrived in Gisborne on board a log vessel and flew off on February 3 before being found at Waikanae Beach two days later.

It was taken to the vet and checked for injuries. It seemed to be in good condition and was released on to the beach as the weather forecast was not good and there was no chance of releasing it at sea.

The giant petrel was found dead a couple of days later on February 7 — likely because of old age.

The bird was last seen when it was banded on Australia's sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island in 1981.

East Coast Department of Conservation biodiversity ranger Jamie Quirk said the giant petrels are seen occasionally out at sea by fishing boats as they scavenge food.

“It was amazing to find a Northern Giant Petrel with an Aussie band. It was obviously unwell but you need to be cautious around these birds as projectile vomiting can be their defence mechanism,” Mr Quirk said.

It is not known how the bird got on to the log vessel.

The birds breed in New Zealand on the Chatham Islands, as well as the Antipodes, Auckland and Campbell islands.

Large colonies are also present at Macquarie Island. The species is highly mobile and there are colonies in the Indian Ocean.

Giant petrels feed on a diverse range of prey species such as fish and squid, live and dead birds, and scavenged dead marine mammals. The males tend to eat more carrion and the females more fish and squid.

In January and February this year, DoC paid for satellite tracking devices to be attached to breeding giant petrels on the privately owned Motuhara Island, which is about 50 kilometres east of the main Chatham Island. The tracks of these birds can be viewed by the public on https://docnewzealand.shinyapps.io/albatrosstracker/