Helping the Penguins

Forest and Bird, Issue 291, 1 February 1999, Unnumbered Page

Helping the

Penguins

ANDY DENNIS

ANDY DENNIS

A Banks Peninsula farming couple are helping to save a colony of endangered

white-flippered penguins, reports

Ithough endangered white-flip-penguins have recently disappeared from many parts of Banks Peninsula, the voluntary efforts of farmers Francis and Shireen Helps are increasing the chances of survival for one of the larger, remaining mainland colonies, at remote Flea Bay. Last century, colonies of white-flippered penguins Eudyptula minor albosignata were a regular feature of many of the bays of Banks Peninsula, and when W.R.B. Oliver published his landmark book New Zealand Birds in 1930 they were still reported to be breeding ‘plentifully all around the (Banks Peninsula) coast. Since then, however, numbers have steadily declined. Many breeding colonies have disappeared, as have mainland colonies of all forms of New Zealand’s blue penguins. Predation by dogs, cats, ferrets and stoats has been the main cause of this decline with entanglement in set nets and other plastic flotsam also causing losses. ‘Surveys indicate that there has been a

reduction of at least 70 percent in overall numbers of breeding pairs on Banks Peninsula since 1980, says Dr Chris Challies of Christchurch, a leading authority on white-flippered penguins, who has been studying them for the past 28 years. (See box, "Researching the Penguins’ p.39). ‘Ferrets have been the main cause of this rapid and alarming decline, he says. The sad result of this is that today whiteflippered penguins are an uncommon sight around the coasts of Banks Peninsula. Although small numbers have continued to breed at many scattered sites, only in the remote southeastern bays of the peninsula have colonies managed to survive with upwards of 100 breeding pairs. Even here, their situation is becoming increasingly critical with some colonies suffering further losses to predators over the past two years. White-flippered penguins are the most distinctive of the five forms of blue penguin found around New Zealand coasts. Somewhat larger and lighter-coloured than other blue penguins, and with a char-

acteristic white band on the front edge of their flippers, they are now regarded by most scientists as a separate sub-species and possibly even a separate species. Outside of Banks Peninsula the only other place where white-flippered penguins breed is on tiny Motunau Island 65 kilometres to the north, where there is a population of around 1650 breeding pairs, according to Dr Challiés. Known colonies on Banks Peninsula total around 550 pairs. Despite a modest increase in the Motunau Island population over recent years, the

rapid decline of mainland colonies has resulted in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently listing white-flippered penguins as ‘endangered’ in terms of their "Red List’ criteria — or one step closer to extinction than the much higher-profile, yellow-eyed penguin which is classed as ‘vulnerable’. ‘Blue penguins are declining in numbers everywhere on the mainland where they are not being protected from predators, and are now surviving in greatest numbers on offshore island refuges, Dr Challies says. n an article on the plight of blue penguins generally, in Forest & Bird, February 1992, Alan Tennyson's gloomy conclusion was that without active intervention all sub-groups of these smallest of all penguins were almost certainly doomed to disappear from New Zealand’s mainland coasts. What he believed was required to prevent this happening was: @ a nationally co-ordinated detailed survey of penguin populations; @ identification of areas where active management is required; @ establishment of dog-free zones around colonies; @ habitat restoration and formal protection of all penguin colonies; and @ education programmes in areas where home owners or the public might cause problems for penguins. The only organization capable of overseeing such a recovery programme is the Department of Conservation. But while DoC has been involved in several individ-

ual blue penguin protection operations (for example, assisting with the protection of a colony of about 1200 southern blue penguins at Oamaru's coastal quarry — see Forest & Bird, November 1992) no significant steps have yet been taken by the department towards formulating either a national recovery programme or a recovery programme for a particular sub-group. While the plight of mainland populations of blue penguins generally awaits greater recognition at a national level, the future has been looking somewhat brighter for the Banks Peninsula colony of white-flippered blues at Flea Bay. Over recent years, local farmer and Forest and Bird member Francis Helps has undertaken a voluntary programme of trapping predators and monitoring breeding. Having lived in close proximity with penguins since taking over the 700hectare Flea Bay farm in 1969 — initially he had trouble getting to sleep because of the noise they made when nesting under the house and nearby sheds — Francis found himself wondering more and more about why this particular colony had managed to survive when others seemed to be declining. Was it the environment? The local availability of food? Or the isolation and lack of human disturbance? Such meditations eventually led to Francis taking a more active role in securing the colony’s future welfare. This began in the late 1980s with trapping ferrets, stoats and feral cats, and warning set-net users of the dangers their nets created for penguins. By 1996 this work had been extended to

include banding birds and establishing a network of nest boxes. With advice from Dr Challies, this has enabled him to set up a more formal programme of monitoring — especially from the start of breeding in early September until the end of February when the last of the chicks have fledged. By the spring of 1998 Francis Helps had built over 40 nest boxes for the penguins at Flea Bay. About half of them are sited on open, grassy hillslopes near the head of the bay, where the penguins have taken over old rabbit burrows. The rest of the nest boxes are among quite dense, regenerating, coastal shrubland on steeper, rockier terrain along the shady northeastern side of the bay. uring the breeding season Francis his wife Shireen monitor the nesting boxes at least once every three days. This, coupled with checking the trap-lines which encircle the entire bay, means that about 10 hours each week is devoted to voluntary penguin work. Among much else this invaluable labour of love has revealed that many predators are likely to be trapped during the autumn but few in spring; that nesting failures are more likely to be the result of eggs which don't hatch rather than subsequent chick deaths; and that white-flip-pered penguins are not unlike humans when it comes to sorting out the complex business of acquiring and keeping mates. Nor is this work with penguins the only contribution Francis and Shireen are making to conserving the natural character of this part of Banks Peninsula. Since acquiring the farm in 1969 they have donated 11.4 hectares of forest to the Department of Conservation to create the Tutakakahikura Scenic Reserve, and covenanted a further 19.5 hectares of regenerating lowland

coastal forest, along with 9.8 hectares containing archaeological sites and penguin nesting areas. They have also joined with eight other local landowners to construct the Banks Peninsula Track, a leisurely 4-day private tramping track taking in the hills and bays southeast of Akaroa (see Forest & Bird, November 1991). Future plans include the possibility of more forested areas being covenanted. Francis would love to see the steep regenerating hillside on the northeastern side of the bay protected. This area contains the majority of nesting sites used by the penguin colony and its protection would be a major gain for conservation — the more so since only a tiny fraction of the coastal region of Banks Peninsula has so far been protected. Besides the work the Helps are doing, the chances of white-flippered penguins surviving at Flea Bay have been further enhanced by the year-round, night-time ban on_ set-netting around Banks Peninsula, and a recent council by-law banning dogs other than farm dogs in the bay. There is also the possibility that Flea Bay may soon be included in a marine reserve. (See Conservation Briefs, page 5). And so, as the white-flippered penguins of Flea Bay progress towards what is hoped will be the culmination of another successful breeding season, those of us who care about the survival of threatened species can take comfort from the fact that this tenacious little penguin may yet have a future on our mainland coasts. There is comfort too in knowing there are farmers like Francis and Shireen Helps, who are prepared to devote a significant part of their time and energy to saving the forests, and protecting the birds, which they are fortunate enough to still have present on their property.

is a writer and conserva-

tion consultant in Nelson.