A pint-sized native sea bird once thought extinct has been found thriving in breeding burrows on pest-free Little Barrier Island near Auckland.
The tiny New Zealand storm petrel, often dubbed the "Jesus bird" because it appears to walk on water, has been discovered nesting in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park much to the delight of researchers trying to track it down.
Until 2003 the bird, weighing in at just 35g, was thought extinct.
Since then, the species has been listed as critically endangered, but their preference for fast flight and high seas living has made them notoriously difficult to track.
"They're very mysterious," says independent bird researcher Chris Gaskin, part of an Auckland University team that went to unusual lengths to capture and fit the birds with transmitters to monitor their movements.
"When they're out at sea, flitting about like swallows all the time, it's very hard to know where they breed, how many there are, or anything else."
A breakthrough came when some of the 24 birds captured with specially designed net guns, were tracked to Little Barrier Island, just 50km from downtown Auckland.
In a stealth-style operation, researchers set up a remote camp and used spotlights and receivers to scour the coast and watch the birds coming in under the cover of darkness.
"We've gone to huge lengths here and it's an exciting result given we really knew very little about them," Mr Gaskin told NZ Newswire.
"Now we'll get to know a lot more, which is vital for their conservation."
It is hoped more breeding sites will be found elsewhere on the island which, with its predator-free status, is an ideal spot to find some of New Zealand's most vulnerable birds.
