Project BlueBird
Kororā Decline
The Trust is coordinating efforts to urgently protect Little Penguin/Kororā in Kaikōura, to safeguard White-Flippered Penguins (Endangered) and Blue Penguins (Declining), which are at risk of local extinction. With few kororā remaining in the region (<50), it is critical that known threats are mitigated and protected breeding habitat is facilitated.
High mortality rates in relation to starvation from decreased ocean productivity (e.g. climate change and overfishing), in conjunction with secondary threats (e.g. dog attacks) and public disturbance, are primary issues.
Beyond the Trust providing emergency care for unwell penguins (uplifting for stabilisation and transfer), Project BlueBird is focused on preventative measures including: welfare checks, in-situ supplementary feeding, transfers for chick rearing and rehabilitation, effective habitat protection, and community guardianship.
Habitat Protection
The Trust is facilitating intensive Kaikōura kororā conservation efforts, including habitat protection involving collaborating with DOC, Kaikōura District Council, ECan, NZ Penguin Initiative, penguin conservation groups and scientists.
Providing safe suitable penguin habitat is crucial, including: Exclusion fencing, revamping abandoned neglected habitat, building 200 new nest boxes, upgrading delapidated built-in nest boxes, providing nesting material, managing predator trap lines, infra-red camera monitoring, awareness signage, dog control, native planting, mitigating human disturbance, and biosecurity precautions for lethal H5N1 bird flu.
The current phase is focused on finalising the implementation of urban safe zones, where remnant pairs persist and remain extremely vulnerable to threats. Creating reserves helps protect breeding sites to address key land-based threats, whilst continuing to advocate for holistic ecosystem protection to alleviate known pressures on the marine environment.
Visitor Disturbance
Human disturbance continues to be a primary threat, negatively impacting penguins, with risk of harassment and stress to the few kororā that remain in Kaikōura. Examples include: Penguins being cut off on the beach when attempting to come ashore, penguins being blocked at access ramps, penguins being pursued, penguins cornered with flashlights, trespassing in breeding areas, and tampering with nest boxes.
For those who care about Kaikōura penguins, please do not seek them out - they are not a visitor attraction. Those who ‘visit’ vulnerable breeding habitat prevent penguins from accessing nests, feeding chicks, resting and moulting. Disturbance is a preventable threat, particularly amid ongoing starvation and decreased survival. Penguins should only ever be viewed from a safe distance from the shoreline, and not in direct line of sight. The use of flash lights (mobile phones, torches, etc) near penguins is problematic and unacceptable. Fragile breeding sites are not a visitor destination, please opt to stay away. The Trust facilitates daily volunteer patrols to mitigate visitor disturbance.
Responsible Pet Ownership
Predation by dogs and cats is entirely preventable, with responsible pet ownership being critical to penguin survival. Penguins are highly vulnerable to dog attacks, particularly during breeding and annual moult. Dogs pose the greatest risk to penguins on land, with roaming dogs causing avoidable injury and mortality. Dogs detect penguin scent easily and must be kept under control in coastal areas. In Kaikōura the Animals Bylaw (2025) prohibits dogs at Point Kean, Kaikōura Peninsula, South Bay Marina, Kaikōura Coastguard, and South Bay Boat Park. At other sites dogs must be leashed year around where signage stipulates; whilst seasonal dog leashing is required from 1 September - 1 December (refer to Dog Control Areas).
In residential areas, pet and stray cats pose a serious threat at remnant breeding sites, particularly to penguin chicks post-guard phase. Containing pet cats indoors from dusk to dawn in coastal areas is a key safeguard measure to prevent significant predation risk. Mandatory desexing, microchipping and registration of pet cats; and trapping of rehomeable stray cats for transfer to rescues, is vital to address cat related impacts on threatened seabirds in biodiverse habitats.
