Trust Ranger, Linden Brown, reports that 2021 was one of the best breeding seasons for West Coast blue penguin/ kororā since our monitoring began!
With the recent run of fine weather we have been experiencing on the West Coast, it’s hard to remember that spring was actually quite wet and wild! This made for some quite challenging conditions for monitoring blue penguin/ kororā, with wet bush and slippery ground being of particular note. Kororā didn’t seem to mind however, with 2021 being one of the best breeding seasons on the West Coast since monitoring began.
Both of our two fortnightly monitored sites at Charleston had high numbers of breeding burrows, and a high number of chicks fledging from these burrows. The Rahui colony in particular had an exceptional year, with record numbers of chicks fledged from the colony! This colony is greatly benefiting from the work that former Ranger and Trustee, Matt Charteris has put into it over the years, including next boxes, trapping, and monitoring.
It appears that one couple whose first clutch failed laid a second clutch, both of whom fledged. Second clutches are unusual here on the Coast.
| Site | Monitored Breeding burrows | Eggs laid |
Chicks hatched |
Chicks fledged | Chicks per breeding attempt | Breeding success | Failed breeding attempts |
| Rahui | 31 | 62 | 58 | 58 | 1.87 | 93.5% | 1 |
| Knoll | 23 | 45 | 39 | 37 | 1.61 | 82.2% | 1 |
For comparison, the number of monitored breeding burrows the previous year (2020) were 27 at each site and breeding success 85.2% and 66.7% respectively. A year earlier, the 2019 season, was very different, with 18 and 26 breeding burrows monitored and only 22 and 28 chicks fledged, approximately 61% and 54% respectively. Sadly that year we found chicks that had died of starvation and dehydration, presumably due to hostile marine conditions possibly associated with El Nino and warmer sea conditions.
In addition to our two fortnightly monitored colonies, there are several other colonies scattered up and down the Buller coastline which we visit once or twice a breeding season. These colonies range in size from 1-2 breeding pairs up to around 20 breeding pairs. Although not as intensively monitored as our two key sites, our visits still provide us with valuable insight into population trends at these sites, and a long-term data set to help improve understanding of blue penguin/ kororā on the West Coast.
| Site | Monitored breeding burrows | Chicks seen |
| Joyce Bay | 14 | 16 |
| Whitehorse | 10 | 14 |
| Bullock Creek | 3 | 6 |
| Punakaiki River | 2 | 1 |
Masters student and our Ranger for the 2019 season, Luisa Salis-Soglio, is working on a scientific paper to share the results of her analysis of our breeding success monitoring between 2006 and 2019. We will share her findings on our website when the paper is published.
While materials were chosen that would stand up to the harsh coastal conditions, those same coastal conditions are conducive to plant growth! Occasional checks of the fences have been carried out by volunteers and rangers so that any maintenance needs can be identified and remedied. The never-ending need for maintenance is managing the vegetation that can grow through the fence, for example gorse, blackberry and hydrangea, pushing it to breaking point in places, or flop over causing damage from the weight of rank grass, rushes and weeds such as montbretia.
Volunteers recently spent a few hours tidying up the main fence along Woodpecker Bay north of Punakaiki so a big shout out to them - thank you Fiona, Jony, Reef, Katrina, Mandy, Marty, Teresa and Deb! Flax had been pressing down on the fence, but now the fence has been freed up by these wonderful volunteers - and they picked up a fair bit of rubbish too.
Volunteer Natassja Savidge has offered to check and help maintain the Hokitika penguin protection fence and joined Ranger Lucy Waller and Manager Inger Perkins in May to inspect the length of the fence. Some minor issues were found but the main finding was the extent of the vegetation growth that was damaging the fence in places. Big thanks to Natassja!
