The Hutton’s shearwaters were ceremonially farewelled for winter on Sunday morning by 60 supporters of the endangered seabird that breeds only in Kaikoura.

Mortlock McCormack Law (MML) worked alongside Paul McGahan, Geoff Harrow and Lindsay Rowe from HSCT, three fantastically driven individuals dedicated to saving the endangered Hutton’s shearwater. These birds have formed a key part in New Zealand history being part of the mahinga kai (food basket) for a number of Maori generations. Once prolific in New Zealand, they are now reduced to only two wild remaining colonies and remain under constant threat of extinction.

The Hutton’s shearwater/Kaikoura titi is a nationally endangered species of seabird that breeds only in two locations high in the Kaikoura mountains. Fortunately, it now has some serious backing from the local community.

What a flight of discovery I have had over the past 45 years studying Hutton’s shearwater (Puffinus huttoni), known as the Kaikoura titi or pakaha to Ngai Tahu, or simply muttonbird to most New Zealanders. Birds had always interested me having joined the New Zealand Forest and Bird Protection Society in 1936 as a 10 year old, but it has been this particular seabird species that has resulted in my lifelong quest to ensure their preservation. Geoff Harrow, Trust Patron.