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Ray Wilson
Bird & Wildlife Photography
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Black Petrel
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Procellaria parkinsoni
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Black Petrel with Cook's Petrel (smaller bird on the left)
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Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand - November 2005
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| Black Petrel are endemic to New Zealand and currently only breed on Little Barrier and Great Barrier Islands. They suffered a large population decline in the 1970's, with 100% of the chicks (as well as several adults) on Little Barrier Island being killed by introduced rats and cats in 1974 and 1975. Since the eradication of the non-native predators in 1980, the colony is slowly recovering and the total population is now about 3000-4000 birds.
Similar to the plight of the albatross, the largest significant threat to Black Petrel is drowning after taking bait laid out by the long-line fishing industry.
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