High hopes for first fairy tern eggs of the season

Friday, 19 October 2018

Hopes are high that eggs in three fairy tern nests at Mangawhai will hatch successfully next month.

The fairy tern is one of New Zealand's rarest birds. With a total population of approximately 40 birds, the fairy tern is critically endangered, and has teetered on the brink of extinction since the 1970s.

'One of the earlier nests was lost early on, but three remain,' says DOC ranger Ayla Wiles.

'There are three pairs of fairy tern with active nests which have one or two eggs each.

'The parents take turns sitting on the egg for about an hour at a time and will do this 24/7 until the chick hatches in early November', she says.

'We are hopeful the nests will be successful and the chicks will fledge by Christmas.

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'Our fairy tern team has been preparing for the breeding season for a few months and we are thrilled to have eggs in nests at the sandspit.'

Fairy terns nest on shell and sand banks just above high tide, which leaves them vulnerable to predators, disturbance by people, 4WD vehicles and dogs. They are also at risk from stormy weather and very high tides.

Since September the dedicated team of five rangers have been trapping predators near nesting sites and preventing nesting birds from being disturbed by humans.

Once widespread around the North Island and on the eastern South Island, the New Zealand fairy tern now breeds at only four nesting sites, found at Papakanui Spit, Pakiri Beach and Waipu and Mangawhai sandspits.

The birds are protected under the law and people should stay out of fenced areas and keep dogs on leads when on the beach. 

Vehicles should be driven below the tide mark and all bait, fish and rubbish removed from the area to deter predators.

If you are chased, squawked at, or if a bird is on the ground pretending to be injured, you are too close to a nest - do not go near or touch any nest.