Seabird Research - New Zealand South Pacific Seabird Observation Programme
Seabirds are extremely mobile (petrels and albatrosses travel faster and farther than most other animals) and the relatively low number of seabird species across the planet’s vast oceans make them excellent biological indicators for measuring trends in the oceanic environment. As highly visible predators, seabirds can be used to monitor changes in levels of resources in marine ecosystems.
Our seabird observation programme aims for the routine accumulation of data on the distribution of seabirds for New Zealand’s EEZ and the South Pacific. In order to provide high quality and up-to-date information to those involved in seabird and marine research, this programme is on-going with new data entered into a single dedicated database.
When we established Pterodroma Pelagics with our seabird tours for the Hauraki Gulf and northern New Zealand waters, we set out to actively collect data through our seabird observation programme. Our study of the New Zealand Storm Petrel, a pelagic seabird thought extinct for over 100 years, is an excellent example of how some of the seabird data we’ve collected over several seasons can be written up as single study.
Click here for Notornis online and download Chris and Karen’s paper: Gaskin, C.P., Baird, K.A. Observations of black and white storm petrels in the Hauraki Gulf, November 2003 – June 2005: Were they of New Zealand Storm Petrels? Notornis 52: 181-194. (Notornis is the journal of Ornithological Society of New Zealand and is published quarterly)
In June 2006 we provided an update on our New Zealand Storm petrel sighting record with a poster prepared for the OSNZ AGM – click to download this poster (4.4mb pdf).
In preparation: Chris Gaskin and Karen Baird are co-authors of an authoritative paper describing the four New Zealand Storm Petrels captured in the summer of 2005/2006 (with Brent Stephenson, Mike Imber, Richard Griffiths, Halema Jamieson and Ricardo Palma)
In preparation: Karen Baird (with Chris Gaskin) is preparing a paper on seabird occurrence between New Zealand and the Kermadec Islands
Contact us to learn more about the programme and to find out how you can make a contribution.
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Oceanic seabird birdwatching opportunities
Through Petrodroma Pelagics we are able to offer places for birdwatchers on ocean going voyages between New Zealand and several South Pacific Islands e.g. Fiji, Tonga, Mangareva (French Polynesia) and Pitcairn Islands.
Please note, these are not seabird birdwatching tours, although at least one of our team of observers will be on board and the crews on these vessels will do their utmost to make you 'feel at home'.
Costs (see table below) are inclusive of meals and twin-share accommodation. International flights and travel within destinations at either end of these are not included.
As part of a New Zealand South Pacific Seabird Observation Programme, participants will be invited to take an option of keeping records of birds seen each day (plotted to vessel's course) throughout their voyage. We will supply data collection cards and data collected will be entered into a South Pacific database for mapping seabird distribution. Please contact us for more details as a discounted rate will apply.
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| Date (2006-07) |
Tour |
Daily rate |
Status |
Number of days |
| 15-22 August 2006 |
FRENCH POLYNESIA - Papeete to Mangareva |
NZ$250 pp per day |
Four Spaces available |
7 days |
| 19-29 September 2006 |
FRENCH POLYNESIA (Mangareva) TO NZ |
NZ$250 pp per day |
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11 days |
| 8-21 October 2006 |
KERMADEC ISLANDS (with Ham Radio buffs) |
NZ$520 per day = NZ$7280 |
Spaces available |
14 days |
| March 2007 |
NZ to SOLOMONS (LOST PETRELS OF THE PACIFIC) |
TBA |
Spaces available |
TBA |
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