Stony Bay Shearwater Colony

Located in Stony Bay, atop steep cliffs and surrounded by a predator proof fence on Banks Peninsula, is the only mainland Sooty Shearwater colony in Canterbury. This establishment has grown to have over 100 shearwater nests, and also homes the threatened Canterbury Spotted Skink. 

The first predator proof fence was erected around this colony in 1998, when the landowners noticed a decline in Shearwater population. At the time, only 3 pairs remained where the current colony is, and the other up the valley had been completely wiped out. The landowners saw the issue, and took hold by completely hand building their own predator proof fence. If this intervention had not occurred, the Sooty Shearwater colony would not exist today.

In the mid 2000s, two stoat attacks occurred. In both cases, all chicks in the colony were wiped out. A fundraising effort by the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust because of this meant that in 2010, a professional predator proof fence was erected around the colony. The area also survived through both earthquakes without any loss of shearwater burrows, and continues to grow. We recently had the opportunity to visit the colony with Birds New Zealand, and experience the nighttime routine of the Sooty Shearwater as we learnt about the area. Hopefully there will be more trips soon!

Article by Judah Gray

Cover photo - Inside the Predator Fence © Judah Gray