#Westland survival information upgrade

Young Westland petrel/tДЃiko affected by fallout/ disorientation waiting to be relaunched by the Westland Petrel Conservation Trust.

#Westland survival information upgrade

The footpath through Punakaiki has had a full upgrade this year as part of the new cycling/walking shared path, says Mr Hey, which will help night-time walkers in the settlement. More will be known next year after the second season with PunakaikiвЂ™s lights off. Initial results indicated that fewer birds were found disoriented or killed by vehicles in Punakaiki. Last year was the first season Waka Kotahi turned off the LED street-lights in Punakaiki. вЂњThe breeding colony is just south of Punakaiki, with petrel fledglings beginning to fly from early November,вЂќ says Mr Hey. As well as street-lights, any bright lights can attract these birds to land, and cause fallout. The Westland petrel/tДЃiko fledglings or chicks nest in burrows and can become disoriented from bright lights under their flight paths causing them to crash land nearby, a phenomena known as fallout. вЂњBuller District Council supports Waka Kotahi in this initiative to help protect fledgling Westland petrels from disorientation from streetlights and will darken its local road streetlights in the Punakaiki township during the same dates,вЂќ says Eric de Boer, Manager Infrastructure Delivery for Buller District Council. Pedestrians, who are the main beneficiaries of the lights, are advised to take extra care at night during this time with cautionary signage being installed on either side of the 3.4 km section of highway affected. вЂњIn consultation with Buller District Council, all streetlights from Waikori Road in the south to Bullock Creek Road on the north side of Punakaiki will be turned off on Monday, 8 November 2021 and turned back on Monday, 10 January, 2022,вЂќ says Colin Hey, Senior Network Manager for Waka Kotahi. To try and help protect the endangered seabird, the Westland petrel/tДЃiko, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency will again turn off highway lighting at night on a short section of State Highway 6 through Punakaiki this summer.