Foil4TheGulf
BACK THE BIRD IN BLACK
The Tākoketai Black Petrel – one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most underrated endurance athletes
Meet the tākoketai black petrel
Frequenter of the Hauraki Gulf – no coach, no highlight reel, just 11,500km+ of pure Pacific hustle on wing power alone at just three months old on their fledgling journey to Ecuadorian waters. It nests in only two places – Aotea Great Barrier Island and Hauturu Little Barrier Island, dodging fishing lines, and city lights on the way. The black petrel is in serious trouble – only 10% of these birds return home – and we’re working on finding out why.
Live Ocean champions ocean science, innovation, and storytelling across Aotearoa – and this year we’re drafting a new athlete into New Zealand’s black jersey lineup – the tākoketai black petrel.
Selectors overlooked it for the Black Foils, the All Blacks and the Black Ferns. Bird of the Year is its shot. Vote tākoketai – one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most underrated endurance athletes in black.
Vote tākoketai black petrel for Bird of the Year 2026 (run by Forest & Bird).
BLACK PETREL
IN NUMBERS
Breeding pairs left
breeding locations remain
of these birds ever return home. Where the others go remains a mystery
Black petrels have a 1.1m wingspan
The Tākoketai Black Petrel, is a taonga species found only in New Zealand. Each year, these ocean voyagers travel thousands of kilometres across the Pacific, yet return to breed on just two small islands in the Hauraki Gulf.
Key Dates
4 SEPTEMBER
Voting opens
20 SEPTEMBER
