For nearly 30 years, researchers have been banding black petrel fledglings before they make their maiden migration to Ecuador. Only a handful of birds have ever come back. RNZ’s In Depth reporter Kate Newton travels to Aotea-Great Barrier Island to meet the birds, and the dedicated team trying to figure out the mystery of where they go.

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Learn more:

• Kate Newton wrote about the black petrel study in February.
• The previous Our Changing World episode referred to was from when Alison Ballance visited Aotea in 2015.
• Light pollution can discombobulate seabirds. Ellen Rykers tagged along with Auckland’s petrel patrol one morning in 2023. This group keep an eye out for crash-landed birds in the CBD.
• The Karioi project are determined to help the grey-faced petrel, or ōi, to return to their area, to improve the health of the forest.

Guests:

• Biz Bell, Wildlife Management International
• Cam Maclean, Wildlife Management International
• Maria Dussler, Victoria University of Wellington
• Dr Jamie Darby, University College Cork and University of Auckland

Further information:

• Presented paper from the researchers about interactions between black petrels and long line fisheries.
• DOC black petrel factsheet
• Black petrel monitoring reports.

Kate Newton’s travel to Aotea Great Barrier Island to report on this story was funded by WWF New Zealand (the World WideFund for Nature).

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details