---
title: "UPDATED.  News of field work on ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels on New Zealand islands"
---

# UPDATED.  News of field work on ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels on New Zealand islands

Graham Parker ([Parker Conservation](http://www.parkerconservation.co.nz/), New Zealand) has reported to *ACAP Latest News* on contractual field work he has been involved with over the last year on ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels at New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands.

 Over July and August last year a winter survey of Grey Petrels *Procellaria cinerea* was undertaken on [Campbell Island](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1326-acap-breeding-sites-no-12-campbell-island-new-zealand-supports-nine-acap-listed-albatrosses-and-petrels) on behalf of the [Department of Conservation](http://www.doc.govt.nz/) and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research ([NIWA](http://www.niwa.co.nz/)).  The key objectives were defining the spatial extent of breeding colonies, estimating colony densities and obtaining an estimate of burrow occupancy.![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/G/Grey/Grey_Petrel_Campbell_Graham_Parker.jpg)

 Graham Parker searches for Grey Petrel burrows on Campbell Island

 This was followed by a summer visit back to Campbell and to the Auckland Islands, along with Kalinka Rexer-Huber (PhD student, [Department of Zoology](http://www.otago.ac.nz/zoology/), University of Otago) and albatross researcher Paul Sagar, recently retired from NIWA.  On Campbell activities included trialling a boat-based survey of Light-mantled Albatrosses  *Phoebetria palpebrata* along the island’s coastal cliffs, deploying and retrieving GLS loggers on Southern Royal Albatrosses *Diomedea epomophora* and attempting to retrieve loggers from Campbell  *Thalassarche impavida* and Grey-headed *T. chrysostoma* Albatrosses.

 In the Auckland group, a visit to [Disappointment Island](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/latest-news/1724-acap-breeding-site-no-69-disappointment-island-auckland-islands-home-of-the-white-capped-albatross) allowed a mark-recapture study of White-capped Albatrosses *T. steadi*to be established.  A visit was also paid to [Adams Island](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1599-acap-breeding-site-no-58-adams-island-auckland-islands-home-of-the-antipodean-albatross).

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/White_capped/White_Capped_Albatross_Graham_Parker_s.jpg)

 White-capped Albatross on Disappointment Island, photograph by Graham Parker

 At all localities visited Kalinka continued to collect information, including on population sizes, on White-chinned Petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis* towards her higher degree.  Her thesis research entails addressing tracking, provenance and census gaps for White-chinned Petrels.  "I aim to produce a population estimate for the Auckland Islands, to track individuals at sea and to assess the taxonomic status of New Zealand populations. More broadly, I will evaluate population genetic structure to determine the origin of petrels caught as fisheries bycatch."

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/W/White_chinned/White_chinned_Petrel_Graham_Parker.jpg)

 White-chinned Petrel on Disappointment Island, photograph by Graham Parker

 Graham is clearly keeping busy.  He is now helping with the third year of translocating [Vulnerable](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3889) Pycroft's Petrel *Pterodroma pycrofti*chicks from [Red Mercury Island](http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/30666/red-mercury-island-whakau) to 80-ha [Motuora Island](http://motuora.org.nz/) in the Hauraki Gulf by the [Motuora Restoration Society](http://motuora.org.nz/).  Motuora is free of introduced mammals ([click here](http://motuora.org.nz/?page_id=278)) and thus a suitable site for the establishment of new seabird colonies by translocation, such as an earlier transfer of Common Diving Petrels *Pelecanoides urinatrix* to the island [(click here)](http://motuora.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2008-mrs-diving-petrel-transfer-report.pdf).

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/Petrels/Pycrofts_Petrel.jpg)

 Pycroft's Petrel, photograph by the Motuora Restoration Society

 The White-chinned Petrel survey undertaken on Disappointment Island was supported by an award to NIWA from the ACAP Grants Programme in its 2014 round ([click here](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/latest-news/1689-saving-seabirds-acap-announces-eight-awards-from-its-2014-round-of-grant-opportunities)).

 With thanks to Graham Parker and Kalinka Rexer-Huber for information and photographs.

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 07 March 2015, updated 13 March 2015*