Westland petrel videos
The Westland petrel is generally only seen at dusk near the breeding colonies south of Punakaiki but in a couple of videos, you can see them land, burrow and nest in the forest in the Paparoa National Park, as well as Te Papa scientists conducting their research into the foraging habits of these well-travelled seabirds.
The first video was produced by Todd Landers PhD for the Bird of the Year campaign: Westland Petrel (Procellaria westlandica) - A Seabird’s Life on Land.
The Westland Petrel: Community Stories is another video about the petrel. Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, interviewed West Coast Penguin Trust trustee, Leon Dalziel, about his experience of the magnificent and elusive black bird.
A further short video explores some of Te Papa’s research project to learn more about these seabirds. Te Papa scientists Colin Miskelly and Jean-Claude Stahl take us on a journey into the heart of the breeding site for the Westland Petrel; the only remaining mainland breeding site for these seabirds. In the video, we gain a glimpse into the burrows of these birds, and watch as the scientists attempt to extract birds and retrieve vital GPS loggers which give us an insight into their foraging flight routes during the breeding season.
In this third video, you will see a burrow scope and GPS loggers in action, both of which are used by the West Coast Penguin Trust for their work with blue penguins.
Now (early May), and for the past few weeks, Westland petrels have been returning across the southern Pacific ocean from their summer feeding close to Chile, and are preparing for the winter breeding season in their colonies here on the West Coast.
