Magenta Petrel
Pterodroma magentae
One of the rarest seabirds in the world, endemic to the Chatham Islands. Medium-sized bird with a distinctive dark gray head, neck, and upper breast and a gray chin. The rest of the underside is white with a light gray underwing. During breeding, the birds mainly forage south and east of their colonies, venturing across the Pacific Ocean to South American and tropical seas in the winter. Many petrel species can appear similar to the Magenta Petrel but can be ruled out if they appear partially hooded, show traces of an “M” across their back, or are found outside of the Chatham Island range during breeding season.
Identification
This medium-sized petrel has a brownish-grey head, neck, and upper breast, with white underparts. The undersides of the wings are brown. It has a black bill and pink legs. Adults weigh 400–580 g.<p>The bird nests in 1–3 m long burrows under dense forest. They form long-term monogamous pair bonds, raising one egg at a time, and both partners incubate the egg and feed the chick. The breeding season is between September and May, during which time the birds forage over the open ocean.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Pterodroma magentae
- Authority
- (Giglioli & Salvadori, 1869)
- Order
- Procellariiformes
- Family
- Procellariidae
- Genus
- Pterodroma
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- PO : Chatham Is. (e of South I., New Zealand)
- Non-breeding range
- to Pitcairn group (se Polynesia), Juan Fernandez and Nazca Ridge (w of c South America)
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
Formerly widespread on Chatham Island, the tāiko is now confined to the forested Tuku Valley on the south-west of the island. The species is one of the rarest birds in the world. The species is classified as critically endangered due to an assumed population decline in excess of 80% in the last 60 years and the fact that it is restricted to one small location. In the 2005 breeding season, the 13 known breeding pairs successfully fledged 11 chicks. In 2017, 34 breeding pairs were being monitored. The current population is estimated at between 80 and 100 mature individuals.<p>The main threats to the species are introduced mammalian predators, principally cats and rats, other threats are present from feral pigs collapsing burrows.<p>The land on which tāiko were first rediscovered was privately owned by Manuel and Evelyn Tuanui, who in 1983 donated 1283 hectares of land to the government to protect the species, becoming the Tuku Nature Reserve. In a 2004 report, about 80 percent of tāiko breeding burrows were in this reserve. The Tuanui family were also founding members of the Chatham Island Taiko Trust, an organisation formed to promote taiko conservation work.<p>A conservation strategy is in place on the island to translocate chicks to an area where the main threats have been removed called the Sweetwater Secure Breeding Site. Studies in other petrel species such as the Manx shearwater, wandering albatross, and Cory's shearwater, have shown that birds return to the site in which they fledged. In 2007, eight chicks were successfully translocated and fledged from the breeding site. There has also been a predator-proof fence built around a small area of land since 2006, 60 tāiko have been relocated to this area.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Cook's Petrel
Pterodroma cookii
A small, fast-flying petrel with long narrow wings and bright white underparts. Found singly or in loose aggregations, well offshore in warmer Pacific waters, mainly from March to August. Flight varies from low and weaving, into the wind, to high and arcing across the wind. Note gray cap and upperparts with dark M pattern across upperwings and dark tail tip. Underparts are white with very narrow black margins to wings. Many birds off Mexican coast are in wing molt.
Chami Antpitta
Grallaria alvarezi
Medium-sized antpitta restricted to high elevation cloud forest in the western Andes of Colombia. It is dark chestnut brown all over, with long legs and a short tail. Typically stays on the ground in the dark forest understory where it is hard to see, but sometimes comes up a bit higher, especially when singing. Gives a curt “pit-brrr” as well as a descending trill lasting about three seconds. This is one of several new antpitta species which were previously considered to be forms of what used to be called Rufous Antpitta.
Madagascar Scops-Owl
Otus rutilus
Typical scops-owl, with small ear tufts that can be hidden, especially when roosting during the day. Color varies from gray to brown to rufous, with rufous birds more prevalent in the eastern rainforest. Inhabits both moist and dry habitats throughout Madagascar, including rainforest, dry deciduous forest, spiny forest, scrub, and plantations. Often found on day roosts in low tangles. Song varies geographically. In the east, it is a punctuated “tru-tru-tru…”. In the west it is a more rolling “trrr-trrr-trrr…”. Intermediate vocalizations can be heard in transitional zones, such as far northern Madagascar. Much smaller than all of Madagascar’s other owls.
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