
November to January - watch out for downed Westland petrels
Westland petrel chicks are leaving the nest for the first time between November and January and could come down and be stranded due to disorientation by lights and poor weather - and may need your help.

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Find out what we have been doing, what we are planning, events you can get involved in, the latest research and more.

Be a penguin conservation champion!
Large or small, one-off or regular, your donations will definitely help do more penguin conservation

New Zealand penguins - current knowledge and research priorities
Current knowledge and research priorities
Our Vision
Sea and shore birds, and their habitat across the West Coast Te Tai Poutini, are healthy and thriving.
Our Mission is to achieve this through research, education, awareness, advocacy and practical projects, founded on strong science.
Penguins and other seabirds are a treasure or taonga, and we strive to protect and conserve them and their habitat – the wider marine and coastal environment.
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Birds We Protect
Latest News
Your donation will be doubled to help us do more for West Coast penguins
Your donation, matched by a generous supporter, will help us understand and respond to threats to West Coast penguins.
Starting right this minute, we are very excited to share this opportunity with you. A very generous donor has offered to match donations up to $5000! With your help, we can reach $10,000 in donations in the coming weeks. To counterbalance Black Friday, Giving Tuesday was born for the following week. It's a day to remember and support causes you believe in and we're going to continue it through this season of giving and the summer! Your donation will help us better understand the threats to penguins here on the West Coast and take actions to protect them in 2024.
And we need you to make it happen!
Your donation will firstly ensure we monitor penguins, both little blue penguins - kororā, and Fiordland crested penguins - tawaki. The data we collect is critical in informing what actions we can take, so your donation will also help ensure we take the next steps, whether building penguin protection fences, working with school children or liaising with councils and developers for example. We know that you will feel good about supporting a cause you believe in and value - the work that we do and the penguins we all love. But did you know that science confirms that? I like to call it the 'joy of giving' and it turns out others call it that too. Some of the benefits - and joy - of making a donation, small or large, include a greater sense of community and a sense of purpose and fulfilment, a greater happiness and satisfaction, feelings of gratitude, an improved outlook on life and boost your mood! I have even read that giving lowers levels of inflation!
How to make a donation
There are a few ways you can donate and feel the warmth and joy of giving for penguin conservation. Easiest is via our donation page using a credit card - bish, bash, bosh - thank you! You can also go there to make a donation in memory of someone special. Also easy is a direct bank payment donation. We just ask that you also email us so we can thank you and send you a receipt. Whether credit card or bank payment, you can of course make it a regular donation if you'd like to keep that joy going! There are donation boxes at New World and J's cafe in Westport and in Hokitika at Moment's in Time/NZ Post, Hokitika Craft Gallery, and the Kiwi Centre. (Any suggestions for a location in Greymouth gratefully received!) And you could use any of these to make a donation on behalf of someone as a gift, Christmas or otherwise. We have a couple of cards you can print out to let them know. Download - Christmas Penguin - donation in lieu of gift card Download - Penguin love donation in lieu of gift card



Westland petrel/tāiko – be on the lookout!
November 7, 2023
Westland petrel/tāiko – be on the lookout!
Westland Petrel/Tāiko chicks fledge from November to January. Their first flight can be a tough one, as they are inexperienced fliers, and can become disorientated by bright lights and poor weather conditions. Adult birds are also found at any time of year.
Westland Petrel/Tāiko chicks fledge between November to January from their colony just south of Punakaiki. Their first flight can be a tough one, as they are inexperienced fliers, and can become disorientated by bright lights and poor weather conditions. Adult birds are also found at any time of year.
Once on the ground they need our help, as they are unable to take flight again easily, and are very vulnerable to being struck by cars and attacked by dogs. The main flight path area for these birds at the northern end of the Barrytown flats has no street lights, which is great for the birds ordinarily but means that they may be distracted by vehicle lights and come down on the highway. These large all black birds are then almost invisible against the black tarmac until the next car comes speeding along. If you're driving in the area, please be mindful of these birds particularly November to January, and travel a little slower. The same applies in all coastal areas where penguins could be crossing too - better for wildlife, safer for you, and less fuel used - win - win - win. The Department of Conservation and Westland Petrel Conservation Trust work together to help these birds get back out to the sea, and document when/where all birds are found, so we can work to remove attractive lights sources or hazards. Particularly around Punakaiki and Barrytown but in fact anywhere between Hokitika and Westport, there are a few things you can do to help reduce the risk to this special bird, which only breeds in one place in the world. To give them the best chance of success:- Avoid leaving bright outdoor lights on after dark and close curtains and blinds, as this confuses them
- Keep dog(s) secure at home
- Keep a cardboard box, with air holes and towel in your car, just in case!
- Use a towel (or item of clothing) to cover the bird and gently lift it into a box (unwrap the bird once in the box), or move it away from danger (traffic).
- If you feel uncomfortable handling the bird or require assistance, please immediately call the numbers provided.
- Birds found can be transported to the “Petrel Drop Off Boxes” at the DOC Visitor Centre (if the centre is closed go through the gate to the left of the front door).
- If you are unable to transport the bird please call the numbers provided.
- Please do not attempt to release the bird yourself.
24-hour contact numbers Westland Petrel Conservation Trust 03 731 1826Department on Conservation 0800 DOCHOT (362468) |
- All birds are health-checked by DOC or the WPCT. Healthy and uninjured birds will be assisted to take flight again.
- Injured or underweight birds are provided veterinary and rehabilitative care by DOC.
- If you would like to know about your bird or attend its release, please let us know.

Trust’s 2022-23 Annual Report
October 17, 2023
Trust’s 2022-23 Annual Report
Our annual report always includes a message from the Trust Chair, the highlights and challenges of the previous year and our enormous thanks to all those organisations and individuals who have supported our work.
Our annual report always includes a message from the Trust Chair, the highlights and challenges of the previous year and our enormous thanks to all those organisations and individuals who have supported our work. This year, our Chair, Robin Long, reinforces our vision - sea and shore birds and their habitat across the West Coast Te Tai Poutini are healthy and thriving - highlights the funding challenges, and embraces the changes over the year. We report on our various projects and, for little penguins or kororā, this meant a poor season apparently linked to a severe cycle of La Niña conditions and the marine heatwaves that it brought last spring and summer. The little penguin mortality database we share with the Department of Conservation has been invaluable in focussing attention on the key threats to these birds. We have now worked on the data so that it can be viewed on maps providing even more value to our advocacy role and for council planners. It also helps focus our attention on areas where extra action may be needed, perhaps new penguin protection fences. Speaking of fences, we were very pleased to add fencing in the Limestone Creek area north of Punakaiki and will need to add more fencing between breeding seasons in the next couple of years to completely protect kororā in this section of the coast road. The report is available as a PDF via the link below, with updates on our Fiordland crested penguin / tawaki work, Cape Foulwind and Seal Island trapping projects, a note about our favourite petrel, the Westland petrel or tāiko, our education programme - much treasured by all the teachers and staff that get to work with Ranger Lucy Waller, and our awareness and advocacy work. We are so grateful to our donors and sponsors all year round but this is our annual opportunity to put it in writing where everyone can see it. Our heartfelt and huge thanks go to these wonderful individuals and organisations that enable us to help understand and better protect penguins and seabirds.WCPT 2022-23 Annual Report (PDF)

Our Projects
Education

Education plays a key part in the West Coast Penguin Trust’s activities. We are welcomed into schools, armed with Kevin the taxidermy Kororā and Toni the Tawaki (fiordland crested penguin; the South Island West Coast’s second resident penguin). We visit schools and educate the students about penguins, thus encouraging discussions about the environment and conservation issues. It is never a difficult mission to get the students, and staff we should add, to fall in love with penguins, excited to find out that they have these wonderful creatures on their local beaches and then devastated to find out the struggle of survival they face due to humans! Using our Blue Penguins & Other Seabirds resource book, which links games and activities throughout the entire curriculum, fitting into any subject, the schools get involved in activities to learn lots of facts and then moving on to learning how to become the ‘Guardians of their penguin’ and taking the message home to their local communities.
Education plays a key part in the West Coast Penguin Trust’s activities. We are welcomed into schools, armed with Kevin the taxidermy Kororā and Toni the Tawaki (fiordland crested penguin; the South Island West Coast’s second resident penguin). We visit schools and educate the students about penguins, thus encouraging discussions about the environment and conservation issues. It is never a difficult mission to get the students, and staff we should add, to fall in love with penguins, excited to find out that they have these wonderful creatures on their local beaches and then devastated to find out the struggle of survival they face due to humans! Using our Blue Penguins & Other Seabirds resource book, which links games and activities throughout the entire curriculum, fitting into any subject, the schools get involved in activities to learn lots of facts and then moving on to learning how to become the ‘Guardians of their penguin’ and taking the message home to their local communities. Many schools have gone on to being involved in penguin projects where they have built nest boxes for local colonies, set up trapping lines and monitored and observed local beaches, carried out beach clean ups and raised awareness in the community with newspaper articles, leaflets and presentations. The school projects are invaluable and we are always very grateful for all the hard work and enthusiasm that goes into these projects.Penguin and Seabird Educational Resource - now in second edition

Download the Education Resource - Second Edition out now!
The resource is available for download as a PDF, after completing the form below. This web-friendly version is 59 pages – 7.8MB. If you would like a beautiful hard copy of the resource, please email info@westcoastpenguintrust.org.nz.LEARNZ Videos
When using the education resource, we regularly refer to the LEARNZ videos that are used in conjunction with the resource, and they can be found here on vimeo: LEARNZ Videos
Other useful resources
NZ Tracker
Have a look at this great resource to help you identify tracks in the sand at your beach: https://nztracker.org/index.html#
Nest box designs
And our latest advice about building nest boxes: https://www.westcoastpenguintrust.org.nz/news/blue-penguin-nest-box-design/
Year 10 Ecology Curriculum readily available here:
Our education resource targets primary school age, however it is possible to adapt our book to some secondary student work. The Trust is keen to connect with all education groups and to share resources and encourage schools to work together collaboratively. Erica Jar at Buller High School, created a Year 10 ecology unit of work for her class and kindly shared it with us to edit and make penguin and seabird relative. Those notes and lesson plans are now available here, in a zip file, with grateful thanks to Erica: Penguin Ecology Year 10 Lesson Notes (Erica Jar, Buller High School, 2017)Schools taking action
A page for each school is being developed - work in progress!Fiordland crested penguin predator study

In order to understand whether and if so which predators were contributing to an apparent decline in the numbers of Fiordland crested penguins, the West Coast Penguin Trust embarked on a study using trail cameras in 2014.
In order to understand whether and if so which predators were contributing to an apparent decline in the numbers of Fiordland crested penguins, the West Coast Penguin Trust embarked on a four year study using trail cameras in 2014. For the 2019 season, which followed a 'mega-mast' seed event and predicted rat and subsequently stoat population explosions, the Trust established an annual breeding success monitoring programme. In 2020, following a mega mast in Autumn 2019, the Trust has extended the project, with the support of Wellington Zoo and the Birds New Zealand Research Fund, with the aim of better understanding whether breeding success is adversely affected by the presence of stoats, and if so, what is the best means to manage that threat. An overview of the work planned for the 2020 season is available on the Birds NZ website and a summary of the 2019-2020 seasons is here and the full report here. There were many fewer stoats than expected and predation was low, which was great for the penguins and showed us that there is plenty more to learn about the relationship between beech mast events, stoat populations and predation. (Interim reports on the 2020 season can be found here (March) and here (June).) The Trust's Tawaki Ranger and Trustee, Robin Long, gave this TED type talk in Franz Josef in October 2019, summing up the Trust's work and her experience of tawaki both at home in Gorge River and volunteering with The Tawaki Project. Robin has continued her adventures to survey areas of Stewart Island with a survey of the Port Pegasus coast in September 2020. A report of her mission can be found here. Project Background





- Tawaki nests were monitored at three distinct colonies in South Westland for three years
- The aim was to determine breeding success at these colonies; determine if there were any trends year to year, or between the colonies; and to better understand the link between mast events and stoat populations and predation as well as to methods of predator control.
- Trail cameras and tracking tunnels were used to determine the presence of predators (especially stoats) within the colonies.
- Breeding success was high at all three colonies for all three years, with no obvious differences or trends between years or between colonies.
- Stoats were present at all three colonies at different times, however at low numbers, and are likely responsible for a few tawaki nest failures.
- The mast event of 2018-19 did not result in any observable increase in stoat numbers in the colonies in either the 2019 or 2020 seasons
- Lack of food did not appear to be an issue for breeding tawaki during the study period.
Blue Penguins – monitor and review

The Trust started life in 2004 as the Blue Penguin Group, a group of concerned residents in the Greymouth/Charleston area who had noticed that blue penguin numbers were declining. The Trust has been monitoring penguin breeding success in a number of colonies ever since and using the lessons leaned to improve conservation management for these penguins on the West Coast.
Science is at the heart of our work
Under the direction of former Lincoln University ecologist, Trust Scientist and former Chair, Kerry-Jayne Wilson MNZM, science underlies all the the Trust does. The Trust began by determining the role of stoat predation on the apparent decline of blue penguins in the Buller area.
Burrowscopes
Monitoring is undertaken using burrowscopes. These are small cameras on the end of a 2m flexible tube, sending images back to a monitor. The camera can be gently inserted into a burrow, often quite deep underground, to establish whether eggs or chicks are present with minimal disturbance for the penguins. In addition to the Buller monitoring, the Trust has carried out surveys of Okarito penguins in 2008, 2013 and again in October 2018. The colony south of Okarito is generally well away from human disturbance and numbers appear to be steady.
What's happening now
Masters student Luisa Salis-Soglio is currently reviewing all the data monitoring date to and including 2019, aiming to establish any trends, as well as any links to knowledge of foraging patterns established through our GPS study. After a disappointing breeding season in 2019 with chicks lost to starvation, the 2020 season was been far better, with breeding success at 66.7% at one site (numbers of chicks fledged from eggs laid) and an excellent 89.6% at the other. The 2021 breeding season was outstanding, with chicks fledging from 82% and 93% of eggs laid from the two colonies monitored fortnightly. Read about the 2021 season here. Sadly, the 2022 season was again a poor one, with chicks fledging from only 35% of eggs laid. Read a season report here.Nest box design
In areas where weka are present, they will try to predate penguin chicks. Nest box design is critical and we have provided a design that aims to minimise the risk of predation by weka. Read more and find the design here.Cape Foulwind and Wall Island

Cape Foulwind is a wonderful place to visit at any time and we're hoping to add to that experience by carrying out predator control for sooty shearwaters. 'Sooties' can be seen between November and May as they fly back to their burrows over the wooden section of Cape Foulwind Walkway.
Sooty Shearwaters / Titī
Although the population of sooty shearwaters is in the millions, they are in decline, surviving on islands, particularly around the southern South Island. A handful of 'sooties' nest on the mainland at Cape Foulwind and the Trust has been encouraging more to nest here and trying to protect those that do with trapping. Over the past few years, numbers nesting at this site have increased, but the colony remains small and as yet no chicks have fledged. With more frequent monitoring and using trail cameras in the 2022 season, we learned that weka may be responsible for taking chicks immediately after hatching.
Little Penguins / Kororā
There are only a few blue penguins nesting at Cape Foulwind, despite the sound system mentioned above also being used to play calls to encourage them into this site. These sounds are played between June and August, as the breeding season gets underway. In time, the Trust hopes to establish a small viewing opportunity, perhaps with a discrete nest cam.Fairy Prions / Titī wainui


West Coast Blue Penguin Count

An annual count of blue penguin sign on West Coast beaches in October, but we'd love to hear from you anytime. It's a great opportunity to discover your beach and to be involved in a project!
Click here for the 2022 Blue Penguin Count Form
Let's get back to paper and pencil this year! Here's a simple form: 2022 blue penguin count form to print and take with you or take some paper and note the key observations. And then share your results with us in one of the following ways:
- ideally add your findings to our super simple Google Form, or
- you can photograph or scan your form and email to us, or
- add the details direct to an email, or
- post the form to us c/o 231 Revell Street, Hokitika 7810.

Using i-Naturalist To make it even more useful and accurate for us, penguin observations – probably mostly penguin tracks but perhaps a live penguin or penguin sounds – can be recorded using the i-Naturalist app on your smart phone or tablet, not only this week, when blue penguins are likely to be busy feeding chicks and the tides are just right, but any time that you come across them. iNaturalist has been around for a few years, is ‘the online place for Kiwi nature watchers’, and you can add any nature observation at any time. It may take a few minutes to install and familiarise yourself with it, but then it’s a piece of cake to add your records, including your photos if you wish. At home, create a login and then find The Great Annual Blue Penguin Count under ‘Projects’, and join our project. Link to the Great Blue Penguin Count October 2022 project



GPS Foraging Study of Little Penguins – Kororā

The Trust had focused on establishing and addressing the land based threats to blue penguins for several years and, in the last few years, has sought to understand the marine ecology.
Tiny GPS units were applied to little / blue penguins during the 2015, 2016 and 2017 chick rearing seasons and the Trust collaborated with the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in a wider study to better understand the foraging patterns that were discovered. A report was published in the NZ Journal of Zoology in April 2017, led by Tim Poupart and Dr Susan Waugh of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and included data from three sites, Wellington, Motuara Island (Marlborough) and our West Coast study. Data has been collected for five years and, for three of those years, the West Coast Penguin Trust carried out the field work at Charleston and Cape Foulwind. Altogether the study includes tracks gathered on 68 individuals in three regions of central New Zealand between 2011 and 2016. Foraging patterns varied between sites and between years. Tracks revealed that penguins can rely on distant foraging areas while incubating, with nesting birds from Motuara Island travelling up to 214 km to feed. Isotope analyses of blood samples showed that this distant food from deep waters (0–200 m deep) is likely to be squid dominated, which has a low nutrition value. During the chick rearing period, birds undertook a diet shift to a higher trophic level while foraging closer to their colony, and possibly near river plumes. These findings highlight the need to consider much larger potential foraging ranges when assessing and managing threats to the penguins. The research team, including the Trust’s Kerry-Jayne Wilson and Reuben Lane, advise that conservation efforts need to take this variation into account to protect these penguins, which are currently in decline across New Zealand. The Trust continued the project in 2019 with the support of the New Zealand Penguin Initiative. The NZPI was able to supply GPS trackers that also measured dive depths and although only two tracks were obtained, the information was very interesting and useful. Read more here. The study continued in 2020 with greater success and 11 tracks obtained illustrated below.




Pahautane Penguin Fence

3000m of fencing to protect penguins and prevent them being killed on SH6 - The Coast Road. It's saving the lives of several penguins every year and mortality has reduced to zero in these areas.
Why build a penguin fence? Where the Coast Road is close to the sea, penguins may choose to nest on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. Both parents will feed penguin chicks and they often go to sea to forage every day, leaving around dawn and returning after dark. These small birds don’t stand a chance against vehicles and large numbers of birds have been killed on some sections of the road. A fence on the sea side of the road was the obvious solution as it restricts the penguins to nesting habitat below the road, preventing them nesting and therefore crossing to the other side of the road. Why build it here? The West Coast Penguin Trust has been recording penguin mortality since its inception in 2006. A few sites along the Coast Road have been found to be hotspots for road kill. Three locations on the Coast Road (SH6) have claimed the lives of over 100 penguins in five years. They are the McCarthy Creek area, the south side of the Fox River Bridge, and Pahautane Beach to Hatters Bay. The annual penguin census, along with scientific studies, suggest that blue penguin numbers on the West Coast are continuing to decline. In March 2012, the Trust and Conservation Volunteers erected a trial 100 metre long penguin fence south of Punakaiki, which proved very successful and the design was used for the new fences. The Trust talked to OPUS, NZTA and DOC about building a $40,000 penguin protection fence along 2.6km of coastal highway, stretching from just north of Meybille Bay through to Limestone Creek since 2009.




How can you help?
The completed fence requires occasional maintenance and costs will be ongoing.
Your donation will help to keep the penguin protection fence working as designed and you can donate via our Donate page.
Also, if you're driving past the fence and notice any issues, perhaps a gate wedged open or some damage, please close the gate or let us know so that problems can be fixed immediately.
Thank you.
