The Kaikōura tītī, or Hutton's shearwater is a remarkable bird. Endemic to Kaikōura and endangered, it is the only alpine-breeding seabird in the world. Theybreed high above the coast in the Kaikōura ranges at elevations above 1200 metres and are one of the few open sea birds to solely breed on the mainland.
Kaikōura tītī spend their days feeding before flying home to their burrows at night, guided by celestial navigation and smell. There have seen significant population declines, and one particularly distinctive risk they face are crash landings caused by light disorientation at night. The town of Kaikōura lies in their flight path and this year the Hutton's Shearwater Charitable Trust report crash landings began earlier than usual, with new season fledglings being rescued by the trust in the streets of the town.
Ōtautahi-Christchurch photographic artist Conor Clarke has been working with the trust to film the birds using a thermal imaging device as they swirl in the darkness on their way home. Two resulting filmworks are currently showing as part of the City Gallery Wellington exhibition Site Seeing at the National Library.
Conor Clarke is of Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe and Ngāi Tahu descent. A lecturer in Photography at the Ilam School of Fine Arts, she is interested in exploring different ways of representing our perception of nature that better reveals its complexity. She joins us on Culture 101
Site Seeing is on at the National Library Wellington until 2 August.
