Baby Tern Rescue Video

Click above to see the video of how we raised this check back to health

Rescuing a Black-fronted tern/Tarapirohe Chick Video

For the past couple of months our vet team were hand-rearing a very special wee guest. A Black-fronted tern/Tarapirohe chick was found abandoned and in need of urgent care. Initial assessment was performed by Remarkable Vets and stabilisation was provided by Avian Rescue Otago before the chick was transferred to DWH for specialist care.

It was quite a process to get this little one fit and ready for release. Species ecology and of course the fact it was being hand-reared alone all played a heavy part in the decision making process. Our friends at Auckland Zoo provided some helpful tips as they are involved with tara iti/fairy tern conservation and have loads of experience with hand-rearing terns.

When the tern was old enough to be released, our vets consulted with ecologists and experts from the Department of Conservation who work with black-fronted terns. It was decided that a coastal release would be best rather than at a braided river breeding site as the terns had already started migrating towards the coast.

We are happy to announce that this beautiful chick was successfully hand-reared and was released on The Otago Peninsula by our friends at The Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance - The OPERA. Reportedly it flew off strongly and was joined by two adult black-fronted terns which is just amazing! The bird was banded by our team before being released so hopefully one day it will return to a breeding colony and the band ID will tell an amazing success story for this little fella.

Black-fronted terns/Tarapirohe are endemic to NZ and are nationally endangered with only 5-10000 individuals estimated.

Threats include hydroelectricity development, weed encroachment of braided river breeding habitat, and recreational use of rivers. But the most significant impact is predation by introduced mammalian predators. Black-fronted terns and their nests are preyed on by rats, stoats, ferrets, feral cats, and hedgehogs. In addition, on some rivers there is significant predation by southern black-backed gulls and swamp harriers, both of which species have become more numerous following human-induced alteration of their habitat and food supply.

For more info on these beautiful birds head to the following link: https://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/black-fronted-tern

Enjoy this video montage of the chick growing up. It's a bit long but worth watching we reckon

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