Hutton's shearwater
| Hutton's shearwater | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Procellariiformes |
| Family: | Procellariidae |
| Genus: | Puffinus |
| Species: | P. huttoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Puffinus huttoni Matthews, 1912 | |
The Hutton's shearwater (Puffinus huttoni) is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. Its common and specific names commemorate Frederick Wollaston Hutton, a former curator of the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand.
It is an endemic breeder of New Zealand, with breeding restricted to only two remaining colonies in the Kaikoura Seaward Ranges, Kaikoura.[2] During the non-breeding winter months migration occurs to South Australia. Some anecdotal evidence suggests pre-breeding birds circumnavigate Australia in the years leading up to sexual maturity.
Its natural habitats are open seas, and colonies occur within the sub-alpine to alpine range.
It is threatened primarily by habitat loss caused by colony disruption by introduced browsing mammals and introduced stoat (Mustela erminea) predation on their nesting burrows.[2] In order to preserve the species a new colony has been established on the Kaikoura Peninsula.[3]
These birds sometimes crash-land on roads, apparently mistaking the roads for stretches of open water.[4]
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Puffinus huttoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cuthbert, Richard; Lloyd S. Davis (2002). "The impact of predation by introduced stoats on Hutton's shearwaters, New Zealand". Biological Conservation 108 (1): 79–92. doi:10.1016/S0006-3207(02)00092-7.
- ↑ "Hutton's Shearwater/titi: DOC's work". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
- ↑ ABC News Online (November 2009). "Confused birds mistake road for water". Retrieved 12 November 2009.