Black Petrel

Tāiko, the black petrel, is a large dark seabird that now breeds mainly on Aotea/Great Barrier Island. The plumage is uniformly dark brown, with a pale bill carrying a black tip and dark legs. Flesh-footed shearwater has pink feet and a longer, slimmer outline.

The principal colony is on Mount Hobson/Hirakimata, Aotea, with a small population on Hauturu/Little Barrier Island; birds forage from eastern New Zealand to the tropical Pacific. It feeds on fish, squid and crustaceans and frequently attends fishing boats. Pairs nest in forest burrows and raise one chick over summer.

Black petrel is Threatened — Nationally Vulnerable (NZ Threat Classification). Longline bycatch is the main at-sea threat, while pigs, cats and rats affect nesting birds. Hauraki Gulf pelagic trips offer regular summer sightings; the mountain breeding colony is monitored and access is sensitive.