Critically threatened Whenua Hou diving petrel are being progressively relocated from Whenua Hou/Codfish Island by the Department of Conservation, in an effort to save the little seabird from rising sea levels and increasingly frequent storms.

The small seabirds, known for their cobalt blue feet, breed in fragile sand dunes up to 20m from the high tide line.

Over the last decade, 20% of the dune front has already disappeared.

DOC Senior Science Advisor Johannes Fischer said the rising sea levels and storms would eventually destroy the birds' habitat on Whenua Hou, which meant the birds needed to be relocated in order to secure their future.

The first 15 petrel chicks were moved from Whenua Hou to their new home on 31 December 2024,

This is the first of five planned transfers over the next five years, aiming to establish a new colony without harming the existing one.

“Before humans arrived in New Zealand, these petrels bred across the southern South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura. Now, they are reduced to just 210 individuals on Whenua Hou,” Fischer said.

An action plan developed by mana whenua, DOC, fishers, the fishing industry, and Environment Southland identified the need for a second population.

The chosen site, within the petrel’s historic range, is undisclosed and predator-free.

The relocation effort, supported by the Whenua Hou Committee, Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka, and Ngāi Tahu whānui, required precise timing. “We transferred the chicks about a week before they fledged to prevent them from developing a homing instinct for Whenua Hou,” Fischer explains.

The chicks were hand-reared at their new home, with the last ones fledging on 12 January 2025. Another 15 birds will be translocated next season.

“We expect the first group of translocated chicks to return as adults in October 2026,” Fischer said.