More New Zealand Storm Petrels Fregetta maoriana off Gau Island, Fiji, in May 2022

Abstract

We document the sighting of four New Zealand Storm Petrels Fregetta maoriana off Gau Island, Fiji, by summarising the circumstances and the identification and ageing of the birds. Like the first record off Gau in May 2017 (Flood & Wilson 2017), these sightings are significant for three reasons. They are only the second confirmed records of New Zealand Storm Petrel away from New Zealand / Australasia. They provide further evidence of long-distance dispersal / migration (Fiji is c .2,000 km north of New Zealand). New Zealand Storm Petrel remains listed as Critically Endangered (IUCN 2022). We undertook an eight-day pelagic expedition (25 May‒1 June 2022) to observe tubenoses off Gau (Ngau), Fiji. The vessel used was the 18-m sailing yacht Sauvage . Wind direction varied between north-east and south-east, and its speed between still and 35 knots, and sea state from flat to 2.5 m: 25–26 May north-east 15–25 knots, 27–29 May east-northeast 10–15 knots knots evening 28 May), 30 May east-southeast 0–5 knots (several hours of heavy rain mid-afternoon), 31 May–1 June east-southeast 10–15 knots. The