Auckland Island flightless teal are a species that will really benefit from the eradication of pigs, cats and mice from the main Auckland island (Maukahuka) the only one in Aotearoa’s subantarctic region that still has introduced mammals. The teal are endemic to the islands and are commonly seen on Enderby, which is pest free and a haven for all of the endemic species in the group. The Maukahuka project is on track to make the main island safe for all of these species again by removing the mammals that are ravaging the island, destroying both the native flora and fauna that makes it unique. ⠀ ⠀ #predatorfreenz #conservationphotography #wildlifeconservation #predatorfree2050 #birdventurenz #birdventure #subantarctic #aotearoa #wildnz #nzbirds #birdlife_insta #your_best_birds #nuts_about_birds #bird_lovers_daily #bird_brilliance #birds_adored #threatenedspecies #islandlife #nikonnz #maukahuka https://www.instagram.com/p/B7_vPCnJSnA/?igshid=ba68axx3ki76

The haunting call of the kōkako is one of my favourites. My hope is that one day the dawn chorus around Aotearoa will be full of their song, once our forests are safe for them and free from pests. #birdventurenz #birdsofinstagram #aotearoa #your_best_birds #nuts_about_birds #eye_spy_birds #birdstagram #newzealand #predatorfreenz #predatorfree2050 #conservationphotography #greyghost #nzbirds #nz_birds #wildlifeplanet #birds_adored #birds_brilliance #thebrillianceofbirds #feather_perfection #nikonnz https://www.instagram.com/p/B-NYkz-putE/?igshid=9b6z5uib3f6f

Little golden glowing jewels in the forest. I loved seeing so many mohua on Ulva Island! They're birds that get hammered in our South Island forests by rats and stoats, especially in years when the beech trees mast (make a lot of seed - the rat population booms when there's a lot of food available). This year is a mast year, so increasing predator control around these populations is vital to ensuring they survive.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ mohua - Yellowhead | Ulva Island, 2018⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #birdventurenz #conservationphotography #raw_birds #your_best_birds #birdventure #thebrillianceofbirds #birds_adored #love_nature #nzbirds #predatorfreenz #predatorfree2050 #pestcontrol #endangeredspecies #conservationphotogrpper #scicomm #wildlife #wildnz #aotearoa #golden #nikonnz #nikond500 #birds_brilliance #newzealand #eye_spy_birds #nuts_about_birds #birdstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B2kNx_3JCtP/?igshid=1vb6ydamumioq

Being in places where native birdsong fills the air is such a treat. Every time I visit our predator-free sanctuaries and islands I long for the day when the mainland can be a safe home for these species once again.⠀ ⠀ Tīeke / North Island saddleback | Tiritiri Matangi, 2013⠀ ⠀ #birdventurenz #thebrillianceofbirds #birdventure #nzbirds #birdstagram #earlybird #birdsofinstagram #birdsong #wildnz #aotearoa #newzealand #nzfinds #travelnz #wanderwonder #thebrillianceofbirds #birdphotography #bird #birding #predatorfree2050 #purenz #nz_birds #bestnatureshots_birds #planetbirds #eye_spy_birds #nikon #nikonnz #nikond500 #wildearth #raw_birds #birds_brilliance⠀ https://www.instagram.com/p/By3NEgSgdeP/?igshid=1rkdybwsi6rpk

Threats to Seabirds: Climate change, Human disturbance ⠀ ⠀ Climate change is impacting the whole planet, but it’s hitting seabird species hard. From changes in prey distribution and availability to breeding habitat swamped by rising seas and wild storms, their lives are getting more and more difficult. ⠀ ⠀ On top of this, New Zealand Fairy terns have to deal with the pressure of human disturbance in their nesting habitat - which just happens to be on beaches where humans like to drive 4WD vehicles, walk their dogs off leash, and where introduced predators like rats and stoats roam. They’re the most endangered bird in New Zealand, with around 40 birds and 7 breeding pairs. ⠀ ⠀ We can’t solve all the problems that seabirds face at once - but we can start tackling some of them now to give our birds a fighting chance to survive in a changing world. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #seabird #seabirdstory #conservationphotography #conservationphotographer #onegoodtern #endangeredspecies #predatorfree2050 #extinction #haurakigulf #aotearoa #newzealand #wildlifeconservation #climatechange #birds_ilife #birds_adored #birds_brilliance #raw_birds #threatenedspecies #seabirdscience #biology #conservation #climateemergency #birdstagram #your_best_birds #bird_lovers_daily ⠀ https://www.instagram.com/p/ByqdbPXA7e7/?igshid=1wdxenas984iu

Threats to Seabirds: Persecution⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Believe it or not - some people don't like birds. In the past, Spotted shags were culled en masse because they 'competed' with fisherman by eating fish. More recently, red-billed gulls have been shot in a few places around New Zealand - although we don't know the motivations of the shooters. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Seabirds already face a massive host of threats. Spotted shags in the Hauraki Gulf have declined massively in the past decades, with set-net fisheries and changing marine ecosystems implicated as causes. Human persecution on top of looming climate change, pollution, and fisheries could see these species vanish forever. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Aotearoa New Zealand has more seabird species than anywhere else in the world - surely we should take pride in this and help to conserve our seabirds as much we do our forest birds. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ #seabirds #seabirdstory #conservation_photography #conservationphotographer #shag #crackingshag #endangeredspecies #predatorfree2050 #extinction #haurakigulf #aotearoa #newzealand #wildlifeconservation #introducedspecies #birds_ilife #birds_adored #birds_brilliance #raw_birds #threatenedspecies #seabirdscience #biology #conservation #persecution #birdstagram #your_best_birds #bird_lovers_daily ⠀⠀ https://www.instagram.com/p/Byn8fzvgiZw/?igshid=17qoicx0x4syw

Threats to Seabirds: Introduced mammals⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ In Aotearoa New Zealand we're very aware of the dangers that introduced species pose to our native wildlife. Rats, stoats, and possums are all in the bad books, but pet animals are often overlooked. We don't like to think our beloved cats and dogs have any hand in endangering our native wildlife - but they're a huge problem. Uncontrolled dogs and cats can kill huge numbers of our native birds. One of the biggest threats to kororā / little blue penguins is dog attacks.⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ We need to be responsible for the animals we welcome into our families to make sure that they don't have a negative impact on the ecosystems we live in. That means exercising our pets away from bird habitats, and keeping them under control at all times. This is really important for people living in coastal areas that are also breeding habitats for seabirds like penguins.⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ #seabirds #seabirdstory #conservation_photography #conservationphotographer #penguin #penguinstagram #endangeredspecies #predatorfree2050 #extinction #haurakigulf #aotearoa #newzealand #wildlifeconservation #introducedspecies #birds_ilife #birds_adored #birds_brilliance #raw_birds #threatenedspecies #seabirdscience #biology #conservation #pestfree https://www.instagram.com/p/Byixb3dgX3x/?igshid=ba2g2rorbofh