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The male at Waipu has got the hang of sitting on 2 eggs so is taking his turn! The 8 nests at Mangawhai are all being well cared for. The pair at Papakanui have relaid after recently abandoning their egg which is incubating at Auckland Zoo. 2 more eggs from Mangawhai will join it to … Read moreTara Iti Tales – November 2024

With fewer than 40 Fairy Terns left, new ideas have been tried to increase numbers of this precious taonga. Eggs recently laid at Mangawhai are at the zoo and the parents are expected to lay again. Hatched chicks will be raised for a short time and transferred to a special aviary. Last season 4 chicks … Read moreTara Iti Tales – October 2024

Papakanui The one chick is taking short flights and being fed many fish by both parents. Mangawhai The 3 latest chicks have been seen at Te Arai so the Rangers are starting to pack up. A family was entertained for 20 min. while picnicking one evening at Pearson St Reserve with an adult fairy tern … Read more8 February 2024

Mangawhai Now has a total of 7 FT chicks! 2 have fledged, 2 more have been banded. Waipu The FT chick has been banded and ready to learn to fly. Papakanui Their FT chick is doing well. Pakiri No FT chicks this season, but a Birdwatching/Advocacy event is being planned for 27th/28th January – All … Read more18 January 2024

Waipu There is a one egg nest with Rangers  keeping a good eye on it.  Trapping has been stepped up. Mangawhai Now 2 new little fluff balls to join the other 2 older chicks and Rangers have candled the remaining eggs with strong lights to check they are fertile. Many other species have chicks too. … Read more21 December

Mangawhai: Volunteers were lucky to see 1 of the 3 freshly hatched chicks on the spit last weekend.  Still wet, tiny spiky fluff balls.  There are also 3 other nests being well cared for by the parents. Papakanui: Unfortunately the nest was predated, probably by black backed gulls but there are signs that the birds … Read more14 December 2023

We have 3 nests and 6 eggs at Mangawhai. The birds that deserted their nest in the recent storm have re-nested after only 6 days. There are 3 eggs incubating at Auckland Zoo and they will begin the captive breeding program for this season – one egg is from Papakanui. Rangers have been kept very … Read moreGreat News 5 December 2023

Our fairy terns last week laid the first eggs!  2 at Mangawhai and 1 at Papakanui.   Both nests would have been swept away by high tides during an approaching storm so DOC Rangers moved them to Auckland zoo.  Dummy eggs were put in their place, but both nests were abandoned.An aviary is being built where … Read moreUpdate 24 November 2023