Storms blow in rare visitors

Robert Webb says petrels are rarely seen on the mainland. Photo / APN

Ocean storms have driven two rarely seen giant seabirds inland and into the care of the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre.

The giant petrels, which weigh between 4kg and 5kg and have a wing span of about 2m, have been recuperating at the centre this week. One of the birds was found near Kaitaia and the other near Dargaville.

Recovery centre manager Robert Webb said the birds had flown into Northland because of bad weather at sea.

"It's usually the young ones that get caught out because they haven't learned to fly around storms yet," Mr Webb said.

While petrels are not endangered, they usually live about 90km offshore and are rarely seen on the mainland. The last time the recovery centre had one was in 2007.

"Most people will go their whole lives and never see one," Mr Webb said.

One of the new petrels, a juvenile which arrived last week and greets guests at the centre's front door, is now ready to be released.

The other, an older bird which arrived a few days ago, will need a bit more time to recover.

Both birds will be set free near Tutukaka, but because they need to be released at sea, Mr Webb may enlist the help of members of a local dive club who could let them go when they take visitors out.

Costing more than $20 a day to feed, the petrels are expensive guests. Mr Webb said they were being fed a diet of fresh fish and ox heart.

- APN