Annual die-off of little blue penguins much worse this year, Coromandel rescue centre says

Monday, 16 April 2018

Little blue penguins are starving to death. The Kuaotunu Bird Rescue centre has had about 60 brought in, but only three have survived.

Annemieke Kregting knows that dozens of little blue penguins brought to her won't make it.

For 14 years, Kregting has run the Kuaotunu Bird Rescue centre on the Coromandel Peninsula, and every year between December and March, she sees the same thing.

Concerned people bring the little blues in to be saved and the most difficult part of her job is telling them the wee bird will die.

About 60 little blue penguins have been brought into the Kuaotunu Rescue centre on the Coromandel Peninsula so far this season, which is double the usual number.

'And it's heartbreaking when it's a family involved and there are kiddies coming up and starting to cry.

**READ MORE:

Kuaotunu Bird Rescue volunteer Annemieke Kregting nurses a little blue penguin in full moult.

* Thousands of dead blue penguins

* La Nina has killed thousands of North Island little blue penguins

* Little Blue penguins attacked by dogs at Kuaotunu, Coromandel

* Little blue penguins moulting as winter approaches

* Little blue penguin with badly injured wing rescued in Wellington Harbour**

'I just have to not beat around the bush and say this is what's happening and it's up to you to talk to your children about it and this is nature.'

This year, more than double the usual number of penguins have been brought in. They're dying off in huge numbers because there's not enough for them to eat, a phenomenon that's happening nationwide.

'Although we see it every year, this year's definitely been up in numbers,' she said.

'It's actually a phenomenon, it happens every year except for the fact that this year has been twice as many and this year we're finding dead ones washed up on the beach.

'It used to be just one here and there, now it's like 14, 15 in a row, which leads the scientists to believe there are definitely different weather patterns and a lack of food source for them that create a situation like that.'

In the Kuaotunu centre, north of Whitianga, about 60 penguins have been brought in so far this year.

Three adults have survived. All the juveniles brought in have died.

The juveniles were in poor condition because their parents couldn't find enough food to bring back to their chicks, Kregting said.

'The chicks start fledging at a very low weight, which gives them obviously low energy, so they get out of the burrow and they have to navigate and swim and find their own food for the first time and if the food is further away because of weather changes, then there isn't enough food for them and they get exhausted.'

About one in 10 rescued were adult birds who weren't fat enough to survive their annual three-week moult on land.

Warmer-than-usual seas mean fish have spawned further out to sea.

'Therefore the little penguins can't find the [sprats] or they are too far,' she said.

However, penguin numbers were expected to recover over time.

'This is a phenomenon that happens every 10 years and the numbers will go up again,' she said.

'When we go out fishing, we can easily count 25 penguins on a trip. The species seem to survive and they're not threatened at this stage.

'There's every chance that next year's going to be a better year.'

Kregting recommends people leave any penguins where they find them and let nature take its course.

The centre is the only Department of Conservation-licensed bird rescue centre between Whangamata and Port Charles. To donate, contact the centre through its Facebook page.