---
title: "Recruitment of locally bred Fluttering Shearwaters on two New Zealand translocation sites"
---

# Recruitment of locally bred Fluttering Shearwaters on two New Zealand translocation sites

![Fluttering Shearwater colony Matiu Somes s](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/Shearwaters/Fluttering_Shearwater_colony_Matiu_Somes_s.jpg)* Fluttering Shearwater translocation site on Matiu/Somes Island*

 Helen Gummer (Pukerua Bay, New Zealand) and Shane Cotter have published open access in the ornithological journal *[Notornis](https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/society-publications/notornis/)* on breeding details from two translocation colonies of Fluttering Shearwaters *Puffinus gavia.*

 The paper’s abstract follows:

 “Pakahā/fluttering shearwater (*Puffinus gavia*) population dynamics and breeding effort were monitored from the 2010-11 to 2024-25 season at two re-establishing colonies in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Wellington region—Te Mana o Kupe ki Aotearoa or Mana Island and Matiu/Somes Island.  More than 200 adult birds were attending both new colonies by the end of 2024.  Of 753 breeding attempts, 582 chicks survived to fledge, giving a combined regional productivity of 77% over 15 seasons.  Over half of all translocated founder birds succeeded in first breeding attempts; younger males (Year 4 and 5) were less successful than older males.  Productivity was compromised on Mana by egg and chick losses to flooding events in some seasons, and on Matiu by gender imbalance (attributed to greater recruitment of female immigrants) and the vulnerability of Matiu fledglings to light pollution from nearby metropolitan areas.  Second-generation pakahā returned to land from 2015 (Mana) and 2020 (Matiu), with 91 locally-bred birds recorded back at the colonies by March 2025.  Locally-bred Year 4 males and females bred successfully.  Over two-thirds of first-time attempts by local birds (Mana) were successful in rearing a fledgling, compared to just over half of all first attempts by returned translocated birds (Matiu).  On Mana, the first pairing of locally-bred pakahā occurred in the eighth breeding season, the first two third-generation birds returned in the 12th season, and locally-bred birds outnumbered translocated founders by the 14th season.  Net colony growth rates for the 5 (Mana) and 4 (Matiu) years after translocated founder bird numbers peaked and began to decline, were 5.8 and 2.8 pakahā/year respectively.  Mana locally-hatched bird survival rate (47%) and return rate to Mana (45%) for the first eight Mana-bred cohorts increased with two additional first-time captures occurring shortly after the study finished.”

 **Reference:**

 Gummer, H. & Cotter, S.D. 2026.  Recruitment of locally-bred birds at two newly-established pakahā/fluttering shearwater (*Puffinus gavia*) colonies. [*Notornis*73: 255-264](https://doi.org/10.63172/654312kprawe).

 *John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 21 September 2026*