Endangered birds threatened by mangrove removal
The critically endangered fairy tern could disappear from the Mangawhai harbour in Northland if a local group keeps removing mangroves, conservationists say.
The Mangawhai Harbour Restoration Society was given consent to clear some mangroves from the middle of the harbour in 2012, and earlier this month they announced plans to remove more.
The fairy tern is New Zealand’s rarest endemic breeding bird with half of its 10 breeding pairs living in Mangawhai, and the restoration society’s plans put the birds at risk, said Forest and Bird’s seabird conservation advocate Karen Baird.
The birds nest on the beach and forage for small fish called ‘gobies’ that live in the mangroves, to feed themselves and their chicks.
A public meeting is being held in Mangawhai on March the 19th to discuss future plans for the harbour.
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Posted: 9 February 2016 in the News category