New Zealand Fairy Tern / Tara-iti

With a population of fewer than 40 birds and including a four year average (2009-2012) of just 9 breeding pairs, Sternula nereis davisae, the New Zealand fairy tern, (NZFT) is New Zealand's rarest endemic breeding bird.

Junior

School Visits

 

At Mangawhai, Heather Rogan (the NZFT Trusts's Chairperson) and Jane Vaughan (who is in charge of Mangawhai volunteers) along with the DoC Warden, Rangi Zimmerman, have been busy.  On Wednesday December 5, time was spent with several classes from One Tree Point School while they were staying at the Christian Camp.  This is the third year that this school has asked for information regarding the shore birds and Mangawhai Harbour.

 

The very next day, every child at Mangawhai Beach School was party to these ladies’ demonstration about the shore birds. The event, kindly organised by Ann Parnell, a teacher at the school and a volunteer from the 2006/2007 year of participation in the shore bird programme first organised by DoC.

 

Four groups of 80 children packed into the library for 20-30 minutes and listened attentively as Mangawhai children are very aware how lucky they are to have so many rare and interesting birds on their doorstep.

 

Jane dressed up in a fairy tern mask, grey T shirt, white feather fairy wings, white 3/4 pants, bright orange footless tights with matching shoes.   Surely the children will remember what it looks like now, although many Mangawhai children are lucky enough to have seen a real one!

 

 

Heather is really good at talking about the subject in a manner which the different aged children could understand and had plenty of curly questions.  Rangi participated for the first time and had great rapport with the children especially when she let off a trap which made them all jump and urged them not to go near one if they saw a trap on the spit. 

Honestly, they will never go near one!

 

Advocacy is so important and is something that all volunteers can help with as they learn about our precious little bird, the Fairy Tern.

  • Jane Vaughan, Mangawhai Volunteer Coordinator

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Did you know that New Zealand fairy tern (NZFT) adults, chicks and eggs in nests are so well camouflaged that you might step on an egg or a chick without even knowing?

 

   
 
 

 

Can you find the one-egg nest?

This bird's partner is sitting on their nest. She is so well camouflaged he can hardly find her to give her this fish, can  you?

 

Pictures and text on this page were kindly donated by PJ Pridham and Rangi Zimmerman who created a wonderful and informative NZFT calendar for 2010. Although out of date, the text and pictures in the remaining calendars are useful for school projects and for learning more about NZ's rarest endemic bird.

Click here to buy a calendar.