Marotere Chickens Islands (31226)
New Zealand, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2014
National site name: Marotere Chickens Islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: -35.8878, Longitude: 174.7538
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 234
Area of KBA (km2): 3.3935
Protected area coverage (%): 99.63
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: IBA Trigger species: Pycroft's Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Fluttering Shearwater, Kaka, Red-fronted Parakeet, North Island Saddleback Ornithological information: Besides the trigger species the following are confirmed breeding or resident on the islands: Little Penguin, Grey-faced Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Northern Little Shearwater, Common Diving Petrel, Pied Shag, Little Shag, Southern Black-backed Gull, Red-billed Gull, White-fronted Tern, NZ Pigeon, Yellow-crowned Parakeet, Morepork, NZ Kingfisher, Welcome Swallow, NZ Pipit, North Island Fantail, Grey Warbler, North Island Tomtit, Silvereye, Bellbird, Tui, Hedge Sparrow, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Starling. Other species recorded: Caspian Tern, Shining Cuckoo, Common Myna.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 25 | |
| Shrubland | 25 | |
| Forest | 25 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 25 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Human disturbance – No Predation by alien species – No Habitat loss or degradation – No Contamination – No Natural disaster – No Other - No
Additional information
References: Baker B, Hedley G, Cunningham R (2010a) Data collection of demographic, distributional, and trophic information on the flesh-footed shearwater to allow estimation of effects of fishing on population viability: 2009-10 Field season. Report pre-pared for Ministry of Fisheries PRO2006-011. 62p Baker B, Hedley G, Cunningham R (2010b) Data collection of demographic, distributional, and trophic information on the flesh-footed shearwater to allow estimation of effects of fishing on population viability: 2009-10 Field Season. Latitude 42 Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd Booth, A. M. 1995. The little shearwater in the 1994 breeding season on Lady Alice Island: breeding success, and timing and causes of breeding failure. Conservation Advisory Science Notes No. 115, Department of Conservation, Wellington. Buxton R.T. et al (2014) Drivers of seabird population recovery on New Zealand islands after predator eradication. Conserv Biol 28:333–344 Dunnet, G. M. 1985. Pycroft’s petrel in the breeding season at Hen and Chickens Islands. Notornis 32: 5-21 Merton, D.V. & Atkinson, I.A.E. 1968. Notes on the birds of Coppermine Island, Hen and Chickens group. Notornis 15; 100-108. Pierce, R. 1998a. Kiore: their impact on two small seabird species in the Hen & Chicken Islands. Science Poster 16, Depart-ment of Conservation, Wellington. Pierce, R. 1998b. The impact of kiore Rattus exulans on two small seabird species on New Zealand islands. In: Proceedings of 22nd International Ornithogical Congress, Durban. Adams, N. J. & Slotow, R. H. (eds), Ostrich 69: 446. Taylor, G. A. 2000. Action Plan for Seabird Conservation in New Zealand. Part B. Non-threatened Seabirds. Threatened Spe-cies Occasional Publication No 17. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 436pp. Tennyson, A.J.D., Pierce, R. 1995. The presence of Pycroft’s petrel (Pterodroma pycrofti) and other petrels on Mauitaha Island, New Zealand. Notornis 42: 212-214 Waugh, S.M., Tennyson, A.J.D., Taylor, G.A., Wilson, K-J. 2013. Population sizes of shearwaters (Puffinus spp.) breeding in New Zealand with recommendations for monitoring. Tuhinga 24: 159-204.