Welcome to the New Zealand Penguin Initiative August Newsletter. It is prime breeding time for our penguins, as winter winds down and we shift into spring. Our national monitoring network has expanded again, and we are pleased to see communities jumping on board to help keep their local penguin colonies safe! Our new Penguin Monitoring App has been released, and we are currently going through onboarding process for a number of people so that our amazing groups can add their valuable penguin data. If you are a certified operator and/or involved with monitoring of marked colonies, it is vital to know the technical specifications of your equipment to ensure it is fit for purpose. Bird of the Year kicks off later this week, and we think kororā 100% deserve the #1 spot! Kororā represent New Zealand well- in not allowing their small statute to prevent them from being fierce, determined and resilient! Plus, their incredible social behaviour/dynamics and long-term commitment to their coastal homes- we feel resonates well with many fellow kiwis! H5N1 Bird Flu vaccinations are underway in Australia. Our Kororā Kōrero- Online Monthly Support Meeting is coming up on Wednesday, this time with a DOC representative in attendance to discuss Bird Flu & Penguins. We are also hoping to arrange a session for technical penguin related guidance soon. If you have any specific questions/topics, please email admin@penguininitiative.nz.

If you have missed our previous newsletter editions, you can read them here www.penguininitiative.nz/news

28 Monitoring Groups Now Signed Up to Protect Kororā

We have recently released our new Penguin Monitoring App and would like to extend a big thanks to our IT support & development team, as well as our national network for the ongoing feedback, as to how they are undertaking monitoring in the field! The app is available to groups signed on with the NZ Penguin Initiative that are contributing to the Kororā National Monitoring Programme- to help aid our understanding of trends and threats to colonies all across Aotearoa. Huge thanks to all our groups for their extended patience, whilst we implement a new system and for everyone that has taken the time to log on and start inputting their valuable penguin locations and data so far. We can already see the capacity to efficiently report at local, regional and national scales to help improve protection for our penguins nationwide! 

Important Notice for Kororā Marking Operators, Nest/Burrow Monitors and Rescue/Rehabilitators

Marking individuals provides us with detailed information that can lead to enhanced protection for both individuals and colonies. It is a highly skilled activity and anyone involved with marking and/or monitoring kororā needs to ensure high standards of welfare are maintained. This includes being familiar with the equipment you are using and how to use it correctly, to ensure the least amount of disturbance and stress is caused, the chances of resighting marked individuals is possible long-term and that double marking of individuals is prevented.

There are currently a number of Pit Tags/Microchips, hand-held readers and wands/stick readers available on the market. This does not mean that all of them are suitable for all situations. A number of factors need to be considered for your specific purpose and site/habitat when selecting the most appropriate equipment for your research and monitoring project. FDX-B Universal Pit Tags/Microchips are the recommended choice for use in kororā/little penguins, due to their ability and likelihood of being detected by a wide range of universal readers on a long-term basis. This recommendation has been supported by the DOC Wildlife Marking Office. 

We are currently working on updating our Transponder/Microchip Protocol and will include information about the different capabilities and limitations of tags and commonly used readers. If you have any queries, please contact us at: admin@penguininitiative.nz

Bird of the Year kicks off this Friday! 4th-20th September

As always, we want to see kororā/little penguins at the top of the leaderboard and help raise awareness for our smallest penguin species that is found on coastlines across Aotearoa! Many colonies are facing significant threats such as habitat loss, predators, domestic pets (dogs and cats), pollution, vehicle strikes, boat strikes and starvation events. Every year we hear locals and communities report the following:

• “They used to be here, but now we hardly see or hear any”

• “There used to heaps, but now there’s none”

• “We keep seeing dead ones wash ashore”

• “We see dogs run into the dunes where the penguins are living…all the time”

We want to see these stories change and ensure healthy and resilient penguin colonies remain part of our future all across the country! Through many simple actions we can protect them, and it all starts with learning where they are and protecting their habitat. 

Learn more about Bird of the Year and Vote here: Bird of the Year ‹ Forest & Bird.

Little Penguin Vaccinations Underway in Australia

Australian colonies are underway with vaccinations for their Little Penguins, in the hope to reduce mortality from H5N1 Bird Flu. See the media articles below:

• Phillip Island: Penguin bird flu vaccination drive passes 1,000-dose milestone on Phillip Island - ABC News

• Manly and Barunguba Montague Island: NSW launches vaccination program for endangered birds | NSW Government

As you will be aware, H5 Bird Flu is becoming an increasingly growing concern for kororā in New Zealand. As such, we have reached out to DOC for more information related to kororā and a representative will be attending our next Kororā Kōrero (online monthly meeting) this Wednesday 02nd September 12-1pm.

They will discuss DOC's approach to H5 Bird Flu and answer some penguin related queries. Please Note: This will be a broad discussion only. We have also requested a further meeting next week- for more technical questions that can be answered by experts- Date/time to be confirmed.

Please do not feel discouraged if you cannot attend these online sessions. We will share any new and relevant recommendations/guidance with our network, as it becomes available- to help keep people and penguins safe, whilst undertaking vital conservation work! 

If you have any specific questions/topics to raise, please email us at: admin@penguininitiative.nz