The Department of Conservation will investigate putting up signage to warn motorbike riders, four-wheel drivers and dog walkers that they risk disturbing a critically endangered bird.
The black billed gull is only found in New Zealand and is the most threatened gull species in the world. Numbers of birds throughout the South Island have rapidly declined.
Black billed gulls look to be preparing to nest beside the outlet of the Upukerora River which flows into Lake Te Anau in Fiordland.
“It’s a really popular for people to go four-wheel driving, ripping around on their motorbikes, walking their dogs or fishing and that meant that people using the area were “probably unknowingly” disturbing the birds.
I think the Department of Conservation is taking the correct approach here by educating all Upukerora River outlet users about the potential disturbance to the black billed gulls rather than just employing the draconian approach of closing the area to everyone.
As a side note – The black billed gull (also known as tarapuka or Buller’s gull) have the marginally better Conservation Status of Endangered and not “critically endangered” as stated in the Stuff article.