---
title: "An estimated 184 000 White-chinned Petrels breed at New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands"
---

# An estimated 184 000 White-chinned Petrels breed at New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands

![Disappointment Island Kalinka Rexer Huber](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/W/White_chinned/Disappointment_Island_Kalinka_Rexer_Huber.jpg)

 *White-chinned Petrel on Disappointment Island, Auckland Islands, photograph by Kalinka Rexer-Huber*

 Kalinka Rexer-Huber ([Parker Conservation](http://www.parkerconservation.co.nz/), Dunedin, New Zealand) and colleagues have published in the journal [Notornis](https://notornis.osnz.org.nz/publications) on the breeding numbers of White-chinned Petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis* on the Auckland Islands.

 [http://www.parkerconservation.co.nz/](http://www.parkerconservation.co.nz/)The paper’s abstract follows:

 “In New Zealand’s subantarctic Auckland Islands, the island-wide population size of white-chinned petrels (*Procellaria aequinoctialis*) is unknown.  On ten islands in the group, surveys for burrow distribution were followed by whole-island burrow counts or stratified random sampling of white-chinned petrel habitat.  White-chinned petrel burrow density, burrow occupancy, and slope-corrected surface areas were used to calculate the breeding population size.  Burrows were patchily distributed and most abundant in dense megaherb communities.  White-chinned petrel burrow density at Adams Island was 701 burrows/ha (95% CI: 480–803 burrows/ha). Burrow occupancy was 0.59 ± 0.02 (mean ± se) at the start of incubation.  An estimated 28,300 (10,400–44,800) white-chinned petrel pairs breed on Adams Island. Including the small colonies on Ewing, Monumental, and Enderby Islands (together *c.* 100 pairs) and the estimated 155,500 breeding pairs on Disappointment Island, the Auckland Island group has an estimated 184,000 (95% CI: 136,000–237,000) pairs of breeding white-chinned petrels”.

 With thanks to Kalinka Rexer-Huber.

 This publication forms part of a compilation of 19 papers appearing in a special issue of the journal [Notornis](https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/publications/notornis/) of [Birds New Zealand](https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/) that covers many aspects of the avifauna of the Auckland Islands. The special issue is also being made available as a 436-page book with the title [Lost Gold: Ornithology of the subantarctic Auckland Islands](https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/about/te-papa-press/natural-history/lost-gold-ornithology-subantarctic-auckland-islands).  Edited by Colin Miskelly and Craig Symes, it can be ordered for purchase ([click here](https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/about/te-papa-press/natural-history/lost-gold-ornithology-subantarctic-auckland-islands)).  An [interview](https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/about/te-papa-press/our-authors/colin-miskelly-and-craig-symes-biographies-and-interview) with the two editors gives information about their work with the book.  [Click here](https://notornis.osnz.org.nz/publications) to access abstracts for all 19 papers.

 **Reference:**

 Rexer-Huber, K., Thompson, D.R. & Parker, G.C. 2020.  White-chinned petrel (*Procellaria aequinoctialis*) burrow density, occupancy, and population size at the Auckland Islands.  [*Notornis* 67: 387-401.](https://notornis.osnz.org.nz/node/4484)

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 09 April 2020*