Near Threatened shearwaters found dumped with their throats slit and skulls smashed in New Zealand

The New Zealand NGO Forest & Bird has reported that 14 shearwaters were found mutilated and dumped near Ruakaka in New Zealand in October.  Thirteen recently categorized Near Threatened Flesh-footed Shearwaters Ardenna carneipes and one Near Threatened Sooty Shearwater A. grisea reportedly had their throats slit, skulls smashed and wings broken.

“Forest and Bird says the birds may have been caught in a beach-based long line.  The way the birds had been dumped indicated they had been poured out of a fish bin.”

Flesh-footed Shearwater at sea, photograph by Tim Reid

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John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 04 January 2017