a rare visitor to kermadec waters

Size
Length: 35-40 cm, Weight: 200-300 g
Lifespan
15-20 years
Diet
Carnivorous. Feeds on squid and small fish foraging at night by surface-seizing. Often feeds in association with tuna and other predatory fish that drive prey upwards.
Habitat
Tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean. Breeds on remote coral atolls and low-lying islands. Nests in burrows or under vegetation on isolated land masses in tropics.
Range
Tropical Pacific Ocean. Breeds on Phoenix Islands Line Islands and other central Pacific atolls. A rare vagrant to the Kermadec Islands of New Zealand in far north.
Endemism
Visitor
Main Threats
Introduced predators on breeding islands including rats and cats. Sea level rise threatening low-lying atoll nesting habitat. Climate change affecting prey distribution patterns.
Population
Global population estimated at 10000-20000 birds and declining. Classified as Endangered by IUCN. In New Zealand a rare vagrant to the Kermadec Islands only.
Conservation Status
data_deficient
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
seabird, do not approach or disturb on nesting grounds
Conservation Note
Rare vagrant seabird; not assessed for conservation status in New Zealand.
Te Ao Māori
The Phoenix petrel has no recognised Māori name. Its New Zealand presence is largely confined to the Kermadec Islands which lie beyond traditional Māori voyaging range. In wider Pacific island cultures petrels were significant birds. Their calls at night were seen as messages from the ancestors. The Phoenix petrel carries that tradition into New Zealand's far north. It remains a visitor from distant waters.
The Phoenix petrel is named for the Phoenix Islands in Kiribati not for the mythical bird that rises from ashes. The islands themselves carry the mythical name. The petrel carries the island name. It is a roundabout honour. The bird is dark grey-brown above and white below with a dark cap and a white forehead. The underwings are dark. The tail is wedge-shaped. It looks like a small dark version of the more common herald petrel. But it is its own creature. Feeding happens at night. The bird plucks squid and small fish from the surface. It flies low over the water pattering dipping and snatching. It does not dive. The flight is buoyant and erratic with rapid wingbeats and sudden banks. In a tropical storm the Phoenix petrel is in its element. It rides the wind tilting from one gust to the next. It seems to prefer chaos to calm. Breeding takes place on remote Pacific islands. The nest is a burrow dug into soft soil or a crevice among rocks. A single white egg is laid. Both parents share incubation duties. The chick is fed on regurgitated squid oil. It fledges at about three months. Then it leaves. It disappears into the vastness of the ocean. In New Zealand these birds are rare vagrants. They are occasionally seen in the Kermadec Islands a tropical outpost in the far north. These are birds that have wandered south from their breeding colonies in the central Pacific. They are not expected. They are prizes for those who spot them. A bird that should not be here but sometimes is. The population is declining. Introduced predators are the main threat. Rats eat the eggs. Cats eat the adults. The birds cannot breed fast enough to keep up with the loss. Climate change adds another layer of pressure. Sea level rise inundates low-lying breeding islands. A single storm surge can wipe out an entire colony. The margin for error is thin. Early explorers reported enormous flocks. The Phoenix petrel was once abundant. Now the birds are scattered. Their colonies are small. Their future is uncertain. The global population is estimated at 10000 to 20000 birds. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the species as Endangered. The numbers do not lie. The call is a low moaning croak heard only at night. On the breeding islands the sound carries through the darkness. It is not a song. It is a signal. A reminder that life persists in remote corners of the Pacific. The bird continues to breed where it can. It avoids predators where possible. It rides the storms. It carries on.