
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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The State of Penguins in New Zealand
Current knowledge and research priorities now available as a web page
Our Vision
West Coast seabirds and their habitat 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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Latest News

20th January brings Penguin Awareness Day!
January 17, 2023
20th January brings Penguin Awareness Day!
Penguins are aquatic birds native to the Southern Hemisphere. There are about 18 known species of penguins, the largest of which are the emperor penguins, the lead stars of the documentary, March of the Penguins. The smallest are our local birds right here on the West Coast.
Penguins are aquatic birds native to the Southern Hemisphere. There are about 18 known species of penguins, the largest of which are the emperor penguins, the lead stars of the documentary, March of the Penguins. The smallest are our local birds right here on the West Coast. January 20th each year is Penguin Awareness Day, and considering we share our beaches and forests with two different species of penguin, all up the West Coast, this day is very relevant to us Coasters. Did you know that we have the World's smallest penguin living on our beaches and in our forests on the West Coast? The little blue penguin, or Kororā, are found all around New Zealand coastlines and we have a good number of colonies, here on the West Coast. We cannot be certain of exact numbers, however, our mission, with the help of Mena the Penguin Dog, our Great Annual Blue Penguin Count each October, observations from the public and our regular monitoring, is to keep an eye on the numbers and their whereabouts, put things in place, such as nest boxes, signs, fencing and to raise awareness in the local communities, to help protect their future. The little penguin/blue penguin/kororā stand at approximately 30 cm high and weigh around 1 kg. Despite their size, they are a feisty bunch and do very well at braving the rough West Coast seas, extreme weather and natural predators, to protect their young each year. The threats that they struggle with here on the Coast are the unnatural threats - humans! (cars, dogs, cats, rats, stoats, roads, development). The next time you drive the West Coast road, or into Hokitika, have a look out for our penguin fences. These fences have stopped many penguin deaths and we hope to keep building more in the areas that are needed. We also have hundreds of nest boxes up and down the Coast, in areas where perhaps there has been erosion or less protection for the birds, to stay protected in breeding and moulting season (June - February). Blue penguins are labelled as "At risk-declining' on the conservation status, so we need to keep on doing what we can to protect the smallest penguins in the World. We also have Fiordland Crested Penguins, or Tawaki, on the south coastlines of the West Coast. These birds stand much taller than our blue penguins at 60cms and weigh 4 times as much at 4kg. Most of the tawaki population reside further south in Fiordland round to Stewart Island and can nest along rocky and forest clad shorelines. These birds do not like to be disturbed by humans, so they tend to find areas that are inhospitable for humans. However they are still affected by us in certain areas, so we are always on the mission to protect these birds as best we can. Tawaki were classified as Threatened - Nationally vulnerable until recently and Threatened - Nationally Endangered until a few years ago, but with more penguins recorded, largely through Robin Long's survey work (see 2021 Notornis journal article here), they are now also classified as At Risk - Declining. Classifications are reviewed every three years and can change depending on their changing environmental and very often, the efforts humans put into conservation on one hand or the damaging effects they are having on the other.
- the fastest penguins – the Gentoo – can swim at the speed of 22 miles or 35 kilometers an hour?
- a group of penguins in the water is called a raft but on land they're called a waddle!
- the black and white (or blue and white in the little penguin's case) “tuxedo” look donned by penguin species is called countershading - find out why here, and it's not camouflage!
- most birds have hollow, air-filled bones to help them stay light for flight? However penguins adapted with solid bones instead. This helps them swim and dive down!
- you can find them in Antarctica and Antarctic islands, the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Peru and Chile?
- the only penguin found north of the equator is the Galapagos penguin, found in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. (This means a penguin has never met a polar bear! Contrary to all the cartoons and films!)

- Keep your dogs under control at the local beaches. Do not let them run up into the sand dunes and bushes behind - this is nesting and moulting area for penguins.
- Pay attention on the coastal roads, particularly where there are penguin signs; they may be crossing at dusk and dawn.
- Look out for crossings when driving on the beach, particularly early in the morning and late at night.
- If you see a penguin, keep your distance. Do not approach it and if possible, hide and watch from afar. This way, you will not disturb the penguin, which could potentially lead it to abandon it's nest and chicks, but also you will enjoy a much longer and fulfilling viewing too.
- If you hear sounds or see tracks, do not follow them up into the bushes, as this will clear the pathway for other predators. Just enjoy the tracks and the knowledge that you have found penguins!
- If you find a sick or injured penguin, please call the DOC hotline 0800 362 468. Please note, at this time, the birds will be moulting, so they will be looking rather scruffy and stressed. They are unable to go to sea for two weeks, therefore unable to eat or drink, making them weak and vulnerable. It is very important at this time that we leave them alone to complete this natural annual process.
- If you find a dead penguin please report it on our database so we know where the dead birds are found - the bigger picture of when and where penguins have died can be invaluable in protecting them. www.westcoastpenguintrust.org.nz/contact/



Memorial event for Kerry-Jayne Wilson MNZM
January 5, 2023
Memorial event for Kerry-Jayne Wilson MNZM
Almost a year after she died and close to what would have been her 74th birthday, a memorial event has been arranged for Kerry-Jayne Wilson MNZM in Charleston on Saturday 4th March 2023.
Almost a year after she died and close to what would have been her 74th birthday, a memorial event will be held for Kerry-Jayne Wilson MNZM in Charleston on Saturday 4th March 2023. The venue will be the Charleston Goldfields Hall, 7348 Camp Street/Coast Road aka State Highway 6 and the party will start at 2pm. Yes, party. To celebrate Kerry-Jayne and her life. "Kerry-Jayne wanted no fuss, she said, no speeches, ... Just have a party, she said. Well, there will likely be speeches (for once without fear of Kerry-Jayne’s right of reply :o). Otherwise it will be an informal event with time for socialising over light food and fluids afterwards." Dr Euan Kennedy, a great friend of Kerry-Jayne's, added that he's planning a later event at or near Christchurch for former colleagues, academics and research associates. Euan and Bruce McKinlay, President of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand, wrote a wonderful obituary, which was published in the journal of the OSNZ last month and they have kindly allowed us to share it here. Kerry-Jayne Wilson MNZM - Notornis - Obituary_69_274-278.v3 For all those who knew, loved, respected and valued Kerry-Jayne, there are three things you could do.- Share any photos of Kerry-Jayne with the West Coast Penguin Trust (via email here or via WeTransfer to info@westcoastpenguintrust.org.nz) so that they may be shared during the afternoon, and
- You may like to make a donation to the Trust in her memory. A very generous sponsor has offered to match any such donations up to $5,000. Our huge thanks to supporters who have already donated over $1,500 in memory of Kerry-Jayne after she died: our sponsor has kindly already matched that amount.
- Please share this with people you know who knew Kerry-Jayne and may have missed this.


Grey High School students raise $432 with sustainable initiative
December 20, 2022
Grey High School students raise $432 with sustainable initiative
Education for Sustainability students at Grey High School chose fast fashion as their issue to research and address. They addressed it in a very creative way, upcycling old material destined for landfill to make new tote bags. They also wanted to raise money for a good cause and they chose the West Coast Penguin Trust.



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.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
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. The New Zealand Penguin Initiative is working to support community groups achieve consistency in their collection, storage and presentation of data and has established a platform for our monitoring results. The new site enables us to discover the breeding success rates for the two study colonies and much more detailed information. After a disappointing breeding season in 2019 with chicks lost to starvation, the 2020 season has 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.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
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 protecting those that do. A solar powered sound system is used to play calls to attract the birds as they prepare to nest in October and November, and a trap network is maintained on the headland. Over the past few years, numbers nesting at this site have increased, but the colony remains small and as yet no chicks have fledged.
Blue Penguins
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


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 Blue Penguins

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 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. The NZPI have created a new platform to store and share data for each group undertaking penguin research in New Zealand. The results of the 2020 season tracking can be viewed here and read more about the project in our news story, largely from NZPI.



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.



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 Givealittle 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.