Chatham Island oystercatcher (Haematopus chathamensis) management techniques: guidelines for protecting nests and increasing their productivityBy Peter J. Moore Department of Conservation Technical Series 35. 50 p.
What's it about? The Chatham Island oystercatcher (Haematopus chathamensis; torea) is an endangered species ranked by the New Zealand Department of Conservation as ‘Nationally Critical’, making it a very high priority for conservation management. The goal of the species’ recovery plan is to improve productivity and adult survivorship, and to increase the total population to > 250 individuals, thus reducing its chance of extinction and its threat ranking. This report outlines the management techniques used in 1998–2004 to boost oystercatcher productivity. From 1998 to 2004, 16 km of shoreline in northern Chatham Island (Wharekauri and Maunganui) was managed using a combination of three general techniques: predator control, stock exclusion, and movement or raising of nests away from high tide. This three-pronged attack was considered the ‘best practice’ set of actions that would boost oystercatcher productivity and was a major success. Whereas productivity is usually low on average (0.35 chicks per pair), intensive management resulted in much higher breeding success (1.04 chicks per pair; range = 0.5–1.6). Birds that were reared in managed areas bred at 2–5 years of age, subdivided previously large territories and spread along previously unoccupied shoreline, particularly in northern Chatham Island. Survival of adults (98%) and juveniles (89%) was also higher in the managed zones. In 7 years, the total population increased from 144 to 316 birds, and the number of breeding pairs increased from 49 to 89 as a result of young birds recruiting into the population. The techniques outlined in this report should be of use to future managers of this endangered population of birds.
The above new publication is now in press and can be downloaded from:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/docts35entire.pdf (1,258 KB)
