New Zealand supports more than 90 breeding species of seabird, making the country one of the richest in the world. But in terms of species that only breed here (33 species) or are shared with one other country (eight species), New Zealand stands out.
This prominence extends also to the number of species of conservation concern, especially ones considered to be endangered or critically endangered. Almost a third of species are threatened, and more than half of the others are at risk.
Overall, seabirds are more threatened than any other comparable group of birds, facing a range of threats both at sea and on land. At sea, these include depletion of fish stocks, mortality caused by fishing gear, pollution, and changes in ocean productivity resulting from climate change. On land, predation, habitat degradation and human disturbance all threaten breeding seabirds.
Korora (little penguin, also known as the little blue penguin or blue penguin, Eudyptula minor) is one of these threatened species. Although korora are found along the coasts of the North and South Islands, Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands, it is declining and has disappeared from many locations around New Zealand. The primary cause of decline of korora is predation by dogs. Effective dog control and habitat protection are obviously essential for conserving this species.
In the first of this year's series of Nature Talks, organised by the Whanganui branch of Forest & Bird, Dr John Cockrem will describe the biology of korora and consider the species' conservation status and the range of threats it faces. He has 30 years of experience in penguin research, having worked with Adelie, emperor, yellow-eyed and little penguins, but korora is now his main study species. His work includes developing methods to establish populations of korora for conservation studies, and advocacy for the species' conservation. His new studies are intended to provide information on how the species' foraging range and breeding success vary around New Zealand.
The talk will be given in the Davis Lecture Theatre, Whanganui Regional Museum (Watt St entrance), on Tuesday, February 12, at 7.30pm. This is a week earlier than the usual third Tuesday of each month.
