Working together to conserve New Zealand's fairy tern

We’re working with the Department of Conservation to conserve New Zealand’s fairy tern – one of the rarest birds in the world. New Zealand fairy tern / tara iti face many threats to their survival. Their preference of nesting on the beach, just above high tide, has left their offspring vulnerable to storms, predation and disturbance by humans. So much so, that there are fewer than 40 adult birds alive today. This breeding season, with severe winds forecast, DOC staff were able to safely collect and bring eggs to the zoo for incubation. Swapping real eggs for artificial ones, the eggs are returned to the nests once the environmental threat has passed. Unfortunately, there were a few nests where this was not possible, as they were either washed away or abandoned by the parents. Fortunately, Auckland Zoo's bird team, in collaboration with DOC, were able to step in to hatch and hand-rear this healthy chick - watch it's journey from hatch to wild release!