Seabirds found dead on New Zealand beaches in 1996

ABSTRACT During 1996, participants in the Beach Patrol Scheme patrolled 3071 km of the New Zealand coastline. There were 4649 dead seabids of 58 species recovered by patrollers. In addition, beach patrollers found 165 birds of 32 non-seabird species. Unusual finds included one Chatham Island Mollymawk (Diomedea cauta eremita), one New Caledonian Petrel (Pterodroma Ieucoptera caledonica), two Channel-billed Cuckoos (Scythrops novaehollandiae) and two Spine-tailed Swifts (Hirundapus caudacutus). There was a moderate-sized wreck of Sooty Shearwaters (Puffinusgriseus) on North Island west coast beaches in November. The highest annual totals of Pitt Island Shag (Stictocarbo featherstonz] and Chatham Island Shag (Leucocarbo onslowz) were recorded in 1996. The mean annual recovery rates of Buller's Mollymawks (Diomedea bulleri) and Black-billed Gull (Larus bullert> were the highest recorded since the start of the Beach Patrol Scheme. Red-billed Gulls (Larus novaehollandiae scopulinus) had their lowest annual recovery rate in 1996. Causes of seabird mortality are discussed in the paper