New Zealand Has the Most Seabirds on the Planet, and 90 Percent Are at Risk

A new report from the New Zealand government found that 90 percent of the country’s 92 seabird species—the highest concentration of seabirds on the planet—are threatened with extinction. Among the most threatened species are the Antipodean albatross (Diomedea antipodensis), the eastern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome filholi), the Pitt Island shag (Phalacrocorax featherstoni), and the New Zealand fairy tern (Sternula nereis davisae). Despite being legally protected in New Zealand, many of these species have falling populations. Seabirds are especially vulnerable to population disruptions because of their slow reproductive rates and because they usually lay only one egg at a time, said Hannah Nevins, seabird program director for the American Bird Conservancy, who was not involved in the report. The report also found that a quarter of New Zealand’s marine mammals are threatened, including the Maui dolphin, the New Zealand sea lion, and the southern elephant seal.
Source: Take Part, November 7, 2016
http://www.takepart.com/article/2016/11/07/90-percent-new-zealand-seabi…