Westland Petrel

Procellaria westlandica is endemic to New Zealand and is classified as Endangered in the IUCN Red List. It breeds only in a narrow area on the West Coast of the South Island. This breeding range covers an 8 kilometre wide strip between Barrytown and Punakaiki, specifically between the Punakaiki River and Waiwhero (Lawson) Creek and comprises forest-covered coastal foothills either within the Paparoa National Park, on other conservation land, or on land belonging to Forest And Bird. They are one of very few petrel species that still nest on the mainland. The Westland petrel nests in burrows dug 1–2 metres into the hillside, often on a steep slope. Many breeding colonies, particularly on these steep sites, were damaged by landslips and tree damage associated with Cyclone Ita in 2014. There are around 29 colonies of petrel in the breeding territory. Each colony has between 50-1000 burrows. Colonies can be located anywhere from 50–200 meters above sea level. During the breeding season adults may be seen in waters around New Zealand from Cape Egmont to Fiordland in the west, through the Cook Strait, and from East Cape to Banks Peninsula in the east. They also range across areas of the Pacific and Tasman around the Subtropical Convergence. In the non-breeding season, Westland petrels migrate east to South American waters and feed in the Humboldt Current off the coast.