nests on the coastal sand spits

Size
Length: 35–40 cm, Weight: 250–300 g
Lifespan
10–15 years
Diet
Omnivorous. Feeds on fish insects worms carrion and human scraps. Scavenges at beaches harbours and landfills. Hunts small fish in shallow water.
Habitat
Sandy beaches rocky shores harbours estuaries and coastal wetlands. Nests on gravel banks sand spits and rocky islands. Requires undisturbed nesting sites.
Range
Found in coastal areas throughout New Zealand. Most common around harbours estuaries and beaches of North Island. Also found on Stewart Island and Chatham Islands.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
Habitat loss from coastal development is primary threat. Also threatened by disturbance from dogs vehicles and beachgoers. Predation by introduced mammals significant.
Population
Populations have declined significantly in recent decades. Species listed as At Risk – Declining. Some colonies have disappeared entirely. Conservation includes predator control.
Conservation Status
At Risk - Declining
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
colonial nesting seabird, do not approach or disturb
Conservation Note
Endemic gull; widespread but declining in many areas due to habitat loss and competition.
Assessment
NZTCS Birds (2021)
Te Ao Māori
In Māori tradition Tarāpuka was known for its loud call. It had a habit of following fishing boats. It was sometimes used as a guide to locate schools of fish. Flocks of feeding gulls often marked the presence of kahawai or other predatory fish below. Feathers were used in decorations. The bird was not typically eaten due to its scavenging diet. Kaumātua have noted its declining numbers. They see it as a sign of changing times.
New Zealand's most familiar gull is fading from the coastline. It is a quiet tragedy hidden behind the bright red bill and legs that give the species its name. You see them at every beach carpark fish and chip shop and harbour foreshore. Their loud laughing call is a staccato series of harsh descending notes. It is as much part of the coastal soundscape as the crash of waves or the whistle of wind. But this common facade masks a species in trouble. Until the 1980s Tarāpuka were abundant. Colonies numbered tens of thousands of pairs. Today the population has crashed. Some colonies that once held five thousand breeding pairs now hold a few hundred. Others have disappeared entirely. The causes are complex and still being studied. The leading suspects are clear however. Changing food availability and increased predation are driving the decline. For decades these gulls fed heavily at landfills. A single rubbish dump could support thousands of birds. It provided a year-round high-energy food supply. This allowed them to breed successfully even when marine conditions were poor. But open landfills have closed. Hygienic waste management has replaced them. That artificial food source has vanished. At the same time overfishing and warming seas have reduced the availability of small fish and other marine prey. The gulls are now trying to raise chicks on a diet that no longer meets their needs. Predation compounds the food problem. Red-billed Gulls nest on the ground. They often choose dense colonies on gravel spits and rocky islands. Their eggs and chicks are easy targets for stoats rats cats and hedgehogs. In an intact colony adults mob intruders with noisy aggressive displays. They drive off all but the most determined predators. But when colonies are small and scattered this defence breaks down. A single stoat can wipe out an entire season's breeding in a matter of nights. Tarāpuka are not yet endangered. They are declining. The At Risk – Declining classification is a warning not an obituary. Better protection of nesting sites could help. Control of predators at key colonies might stabilise numbers. Perhaps luck with marine conditions will aid recovery. But the gull that defined beach trips is no longer a given. It stole chips and laughed at us for it. Its decline is a reminder. Common does not mean secure. The everyday birds of our childhood cannot be taken for granted.