Chatham Island Petrel – breeds in the chatham forest burrows

breeds in the chatham forest burrows

Size: Length: 35-40 cm, Weight: 300-400 g
Lifespan: 20-30 years
Diet: Carnivorous. Feeds on small fish and squid, foraging at night by surface-seizing. Often feeds in association with tuna and other predatory fish that drive prey upwards.
Habitat: Open ocean for feeding. Breeds on steep forested slopes of the Chatham Islands. Nests in burrows dug into deep soil under dense native forest canopy.
Range: Endemic to the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. Breeds on main Chatham Island and predator-free islands in the group. Forages across the South Pacific Ocean.
Endemism: Endemic
Main Threats: Introduced predators including rats, cats, and pigs historically decimated the population. Currently threatened by occasional predator incursions. Light pollution disorienting fledglings.
Population: Global population estimated at 1,500-2,000 birds after intensive conservation. Once reduced to fewer than 200 birds. Classified as Nationally Vulnerable by DOC.
Conservation Status: Nationally Critical
Human Risk: harmless
Handling Note: seabird, do not approach or disturb on nesting grounds
Conservation Note: Endemic petrel; breeds only on Chatham Islands, threatened by introduced predators and habitat loss.
Assessment: NZTCS Birds (2021)
Te Ao Māori: Ranguru is the Māori name for the Chatham Island petrel. It means "to resound" or "echo", referring to its haunting nocturnal calls. For the Moriori people of Rēkohu, these calls were the voices of the forest at night. They connected the world of the living to the spirit realm. The petrel's recovery is a symbol of hope. It demonstrates the power of conservation guided by traditional values of kaitiakitanga, or guardianship. The bird remains a vital part of Chatham Islands heritage.

The Chatham Island petrel came back from the edge. In the 1980s, fewer than two hundred birds remained. A few pairs held on in a small patch of forest on the main Chatham Island. The rest of their range had been eaten away by rats, pigs, and cats. They were waiting to disappear. Then someone decided to help. It is a medium-sized petrel, grey above and white below, with a distinctive dark patch under the wing. The forehead is pale. The eye is dark. The bill is black. It looks like many other gadfly petrels. Close inspection reveals the underwing pattern. A dark smudge runs from the wrist to the body. That is the signature. Feeding happens far out in the South Pacific. The bird targets fish and squid, foraging at night by surface-seizing. It often feeds in association with tuna and other predatory fish that drive prey upwards. It travels hundreds of kilometres from the Chathams to find food. Then it returns. Always returns. To the same burrow. To the same patch of forest. The breeding season runs from October to May. A single white egg is laid. Both parents share incubation duties. The chick grows slowly, fed on regurgitated fish oil. It fledges in autumn. Then it disappears for three or four years. The young birds roam the Pacific. They learn the ocean. They grow up. Then they come back. The recovery has been significant. Conservationists moved birds to predator-free islands. They built artificial burrows. They played recorded calls to attract the birds to new sites. The petrels responded. They colonised new areas. The population climbed. It is still small. It is no longer dying. The name ranguru means to resound or echo. It refers to the bird's call, a haunting, moaning cry that carries through the forest at night. On a dark evening on the Chathams, with the wind in the trees and the ranguru calling, you understand why early settlers thought the birds were ghosts. The Chatham Island petrel is not safe yet. A single predator incursion could undo decades of work. But it is no longer doomed. That is progress. Light pollution also disorients fledglings, adding another layer of risk to their return. The global population is estimated at 1,500 to 2,000 birds after intensive conservation efforts. Once reduced to fewer than 200 individuals, the species has clawed its way back. It remains classified as Nationally Vulnerable by the Department of Conservation. The numbers are better. They are not good. The bird persists in steep forested slopes of the Chatham Islands. It nests in burrows dug into deep soil under dense native forest canopy. It forages across the open ocean. It carries on.