Ten-day search for the Fiji petrel finds no birds but compiles every known record

A 10-day expedition off Gau Island in Fiji has failed to produce a verified sighting of the critically endangered Fiji petrel, a seabird thought to number fewer than 50 individuals. The survey, reported in Bird Conservation International, also assembled for the first time every confirmed record of the species since 1855 and helped to locate the only known audio recording of its call.

A search built on standard seabird methods

The expedition took place in May 2025 and was run by National Geographic Pristine Seas with BirdLife International and NatureFiji-MareqetiViti. Local and international scientists spent more than 12 hours a day scanning for the bird, mostly at sea. The team was led by Lindsay Young, vice president of research for Pristine Seas.

By day, the team used chumming, which involves spreading bait and fish oil on the water surface to draw seabirds in. At night, they combined spotlighting with acoustic attraction. Two handheld spotlights were pointed upwards to form a beam visible from far away, while recordings of Fiji petrel calls played on a loop. A sighting counted as confirmed only if it was backed by photographs. None met that standard.

The aim was also practical. The researchers had hoped to tag a bird, since tracking data could show where it breeds and feeds. As the paper notes, no nest has ever been found, making this one of very few seabird species with that gap in its record.

A thin and aging record

The review draws together all confirmed sightings of the species, known locally as Kacau-ni-Gau. According to BirdLife International biologist Melania Bulimaitoga, there are only 16 records on land and 22 at sea. The bird was seen on land on Gau until the 2000s, but there have been no confirmed land sightings since 2012. The most recent confirmed sighting at sea came during a scientific search in 2023.

Gau is the only island from which the species has ever been recorded. Breeding habits, population size and foraging behaviour all remain virtually unknown, which limits the ability of conservation planners to target interventions.

Local knowledge and a rare recording

Conversations with Gau residents proved more productive than the sea survey. The team uncovered the only known audio recording of the petrel’s call, a resource that could support future acoustic surveys. The bird features on Fiji’s 20-dollar banknote and in lullabies handed down on Gau.

Oral histories from village chiefs suggest the petrel and similar seabirds were once far more abundant. Chiefs relayed accounts from their great-grandmothers, who gathered seabird eggs on the lower montane slopes behind the village, particularly during pregnancy. Such testimony offers a qualitative baseline for past abundance and a pointer to likely nesting zones.

Threats, caveats and next steps

The main threats identified are invasive predators, namely feral cats, rats and pigs, together with degradation of habitat on Gau. Community members have pledged to protect the montane forests where the birds are thought to nest, and Young highlighted habitat protection and invasive species control as the best chance for any remaining birds.

The authors caution against reading too much into the null result. A cyclone passed south of the survey area during the expedition, and a recent strong El Niño may also have affected the birds’ presence. Young described a single survey as a snapshot, while acknowledging a real risk that the species is disappearing.

For researchers, the paper offers a consolidated dataset of historical records and a documented set of survey methods, including their limits. Further at-sea effort, acoustic work using the recording, and searches of the montane forests are the obvious routes towards finding a nest and designing targeted protection.

Source: Fiji petrel eludes 10-day search as communities aim to protect bird's habitat (Phys.org, 14 November 2026).

Image: AI-generated illustration.