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title: "News of a long-term study of ACAP-listed Black Petrels"
---

# News of a long-term study of ACAP-listed Black Petrels

*![When 3 people are needed to get a BP out of a burrow Credit Biz Bell WMIL Elizabeth Bell 752x564](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/B/Black/When-3-people-are-needed-to-get-a-BP-out-of-a-burrow-Credit-Biz-Bell-WMIL-Elizabeth-Bell-752x564.png)  
“"When three-people-are-needed-to-get-a-Black Petrel-out-of-a-burrow”, photograph from the article by Eliza**beth Bell*

 Elizabeth Bell ([Wildlife Management International](https://www.wmil.co.nz/) Ltd, Blenheim, New Zealand has written on the [Vulnerable](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-petrel-procellaria-parkinsoni) and ACAP-listed Black Petrels *Procellaria parkinsoni* that breed on Aotea/Great Barrier Island in the online oublication, *[Pacific Seabirds](https://pacificseabirdgroup.org/psg-publications/pacific-seabirds/).* She writes “WMIL has been working at the main colony around the summit Hirakimata/Mt Hobson, monitoring 482 study burrows within the 35-ha study site each breeding season.  This work can involve incredible gymnastics, putting one arm down into a burrow while trying not to slide down banks, lying over and under trees or rocks and being very tolerant of painful bites and scratches.”

 *![Black Petrels Biz Bell](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/B/Black/Black_Petrels_Biz_Bell.jpg)  
A Black Petrel pair, photograph by Elizabeth Bell*

 “During the 2023/24 breeding season, 63.5% of the study burrows were occupied by breeding pairs, 12% occupied by non-breeding birds, and 24.5% were unoccupied during our visits (with over 50% of those unoccupied burrows showing no evidence of activity at all, i.e., blocked up, no feathers, scent of guano, etc.).  Overall, 222 chicks were produced from the study burrows representing a fledgling success rate of 72.5%.”

 Read more about the study in her illustrated article.

 **Reference:**

 Bell, E.  2024.  Tākoketai/Black Petrels (*Procellaria parkinsoni*) on Aotea/Great Barrier Island, Aotearoa New Zealand.  *[Pacific Seabirds 51(2).](https://pacificseabirdgroup.org/news/takoketai-black-petrels-procellaria-parkinsoni-on-aotea-great-barrier-island-aotearoa-new-zealand/)*

 *07 November 2024*