Codfish Island Survey

2009:

The resurvey of Codfish / Whenua Hou has been completed by Sandy King (Projects Officer Southern Islands) with assistance from DOC staff Dave Houston (Auckland) and Dean Nelson (Twizel), both very experienced yellow-eyed penguin people in their previous roles with DOC.

What they found was:
2001 survey found 61 breeding pairs
2009 survey found 46 breeding pairs

If you add on a 15% margin for an error of margin of ‘missed nests’ then that is still only 53 breedng pairs, or down 15% from the 2001 survey.

We still need to find out WHY.

Comment from Dave “Codfish, with the removal of pest species and the addition of a few new birds, is even better than I remember from my first amazing trip there 28 years ago, although the hills have apparently got steeper.  Thanks to Sandy King and the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust for the opportunity to take part in this fantastic trip and to Dean for bringing the scotch.”

(Thanks Dave for the awesome photos!)

2001:

The Trust sponsored yellow-eyed penguin census of Whenua Hou (Cod Fish Island, found off the north-west coast of Stewart Island) commenced mid-November 2001.

It was important the Trust conduct this survey of this predator-free island. When results are compared to those of the neighbouring Stewart Island, it may assist us in finding out whether feral cat predation is a significant factor in the low numbers of yellow-eyed penguins on Stewart Island.

The Trust’s Projects Officer, David Blair and other experienced volunteers carried out a nest search to find 61 productive nests in three main breeding areas. Following the nest search a series of beach counts were completed. The results for Whenua Hou were very positive this year as the numbers of juveniles and non-breeding adult penguins give promise of a secure future for this breeding location.

Otago University Survey

Three marketing students from the University of Otago will look at the major issues facing the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust as part of their MART 355 Business Project.

Collectively known to the Trust as ‘Visionary Consultants’, they have identified the key issues of securing a strong financial base through sponsorship, gaining new members, retaining existing members and raising the profile of the Trust. Under each of these issues they will consider the impact on the organization, future trends, possible causes and the supporting evidence.

The research will include in-depth interviews, personal surveys, telephone surveys, discussions with board members and research of secondary sources.

Penguin predation study

Pauline Williamson, 2001, Lincoln University

Pauline is from Lincoln University doing her Masters project on the white-flippered penguin. She is evaluating the existing predator control at Flea Bay and Stony Bay (on Banks Peninsula) which is in place for the benefit of the white-flippered penguins living in the area. Her overall objective is to provide the two landowners with recommendations, which are easily implemented, to increase predator catches and in turn increase penguin survivorship.

The Trust believes the results of her work on predation could benefit their predation control work in yellow-eyed penguin habitats.

YEP Reproductive Study

Melanie Massaro and Alvin Setiawan
Research Students from Otago University, 2000-2001

This year the Trust has sponsored two PhD students to study reproductive success in yellow-eyed penguins. Both students will be based on the Otago Peninsula studying the resident penguin population there.

Melanie Massaro will investigate biological and behavioural factors related to reproductive success, while Alvin Setiawan will look at the hormonal mechanisms which underlie the reproductive behaviour observed by Melanie and the energetics involved with raising chicks.

The students will be supervised by Lloyd Davis in the Zoology Department, Otago University, and their advisor is John Darby.

Stewart Island Census 1999-2000

The Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust has completed the first comprehensive baseline survey of yellow-eyed penguin nest numbers on Rakiura / Stewart Island. The Trust’s aim was to have a complete up-to-date survey of the whole island.

Survey results show a decreased population of yellow-eyed penguins on Stewart Island, with results totalling only an estimated 200 breeding pairs. In the past, penguin landing areas have been documented by the Department of Conservation and other researchers, with the 1992 estimated numbers of penguins being 470 – 600 pairs.

Conducted over the last two breeding seasons (1999 and 2000), this nest search census was directed by the Trusts’ Project Officer David Blair, and included a number of experienced volunteers. The survey raises several important questions about the yellow-eyed penguin breeding population on the island. Predation by feral cats, marine food supply and disease may be the reasons for these low numbers.

In 2000, a comparison between nest counts and beach landings was made, and during both of these counts, only three juveniles were sighted giving rise to concerns over the future survival of this population.

The Trust is currently collating results to produce a scientific publication. It is hoped this report will be a catalyst for future research into why these threatened yellow-eyed penguin numbers are so low.

The Trust invested over $20,000 into this research, which involved an estimated 253 days of work on Stewart Island. Some of this money came from our loyal supporters who return the Mainland Products Ltd cheese and butter wrappers.