Birds
Chatham Petrel
Pterodroma axillaris
Returning each year to burrows sometimes already claimed by a smaller seabird, a Chatham petrel breeds on just one small island in the remote Chatham Islands, its survival now closely tied to conservation measures that keep prions from taking over its nests.
Overview
The Chatham petrel, Pterodroma axillaris, is a Vulnerable seabird native to ocean and forest habitat found only around the Chatham Islands, a remote outpost of New Zealand. Its extraordinarily restricted single-island breeding range, its unusual burrow competition with broad-billed prions, and its gradual recovery under active management make it one of the more closely managed gadfly petrels found anywhere in the Pacific.
A nest fight most seabirds never face
Few seabirds must physically compete with another species just to reclaim their own burrow, but the Chatham petrel returns each breeding season to find broad-billed prions sometimes already settled in, a conflict conservation managers have worked for decades to resolve.
Status
Vulnerable, with a small population confined to a single breeding island, though targeted conservation management has supported a gradual increase in recent decades.
Chatham Petrel: common questions
Why is the Chatham petrel's breeding range so restricted?
This species breeds only on one small island within the Chatham Islands group, one of the most geographically restricted breeding ranges of any seabird species alive today.
Why does the Chatham petrel compete with prions for nests?
This species must compete with broad-billed prions, which arrive earlier in the season and occupy the same nesting burrows, sometimes evicting returning petrels from burrows they have used before.
How are conservationists helping the Chatham petrel?
This species benefits from active conservation management, including specially designed burrow entrances that exclude competing prions while still allowing the petrels themselves to pass through.
Is the Chatham petrel's population growing or shrinking?
This species' population remains small but has shown a gradual increase in recent decades, a result credited largely to sustained conservation management on its single breeding island.