Moana, Pēpē and Bessy Boo are some of the latest guests to seek refuge at a safe haven for little penguins on Waiheke Island run by Native Bird Rescue.
Kororā or little blue penguin populations in the Hauraki Gulf are under increasing threat due to habitat destruction, overfishing, climate change, and human activity.
Native Bird Rescue’s Whakarauora Kororā project is working to reverse this decline by boosting rehabilitation efforts, implementing monitoring technology, and strengthening community education and advocacy.
The project is one of 18 initiatives WWF-New Zealand, in partnership with the Tindall Foundation, is supporting this year through its Community Conservation Fund.
Whakarauora Kororā focuses on the rescue and rehabilitation of kororā from the Auckland and Hauraki Gulf regions. Native Bird Rescue’s facilities include an avian vet clinic with state-of-the-art X-ray equipment, a dedicated kororā habitat, and a seabird rehabilitation pool, all supported by a highly experienced team.
Kororā chicks and pre-fledglings admitted into care are carefully reared until they are strong enough to return to the wild. Before release, they are transitioned into a special soft-release enclosure on the coastline, allowing them to acclimatise to their natural environment, interact with local kororā, and prepare for the challenges of life in the wild.
This enclosure is part of the Kororā Kāinga, a 10-year penguin colony regeneration initiative. Now in its third year, the project is showing promising results, with double brooding observed this season—an encouraging sign of a strong breeding year. Six chicks have successfully fledged.
This season, only two kororā from Waiheke Island have been admitted, with most rescued birds coming from Auckland’s West Coast and Auckland Zoo Veterinary Hospital. Among them is Mānawa, discovered at the entrance of the newly opened Mānawa Bay Shopping Mall at Auckland Airport. This little bird had swum up a creek, became trapped by the tide, and was found severely emaciated before being rehabilitated. Other current patients include Rangi from Waiheke, Moana from Browns Bay, Pēpē from Aotea / Great Barrier Island, and Bessy Boo from Mt Maunganui / Tauranga.
Recently, conservation sniffer dog Miro, led by Jo Sim, surveyed kororā nesting burrows around the Kororā Kāinga—a dog-prohibited zone for over 20 years. The results were remarkable, revealing 4.8 times more kororā in the dog-free area compared to populated zones, highlighting the importance of predator-free spaces and responsible pet ownership.
This breeding season has been exceptional for kororā in the Hauraki Gulf, likely due to stable ocean conditions and the absence of La Niña-driven increases in sea surface temperatures, which has resulted in an abundance of food for this taonga species.
WWF-New Zealand has been proud to support Native Bird Rescue for several years and we’re pleased to continue supporting the team’s amazing mahi again this year.
“This support will allow more kororā to be rescued, rehabilitated and released back to the wild to support the ongoing regeneration of the kororā population,” says Native Bird Rescue founder Karen Saunders.
The WWF-New Zealand Conservation Fund supports local communities to run projects that conserve and restore Aotearoa’s natural environment, while also educating New Zealanders about its importance.