A young tara iti bird has been spotted venturing out of its nest in Waipū. Conservationists have been using 3D printed eggs to help this endangered species survive the summer. The Department of Conservation (DOC) explained that the fake eggs are so realistic that the birds don’t notice when their real eggs are swapped out.
This program was designed to protect the eggs of the endangered tara iti, also known as the fairy tern, from storms and high tides. The real eggs are taken to incubators at Auckland Zoo, while the birds continue to incubate the 3D printed eggs, thinking they are real.
Previously, the DOC used hand-painted wooden eggs and real eggs with hollow centers filled with wax. However, these eggs eventually cracked, leading to the use of 3D printing. Funding from the Endangered Species Foundation (ESF) Tāngaro Tuia te Ora allowed Shaun Lee to create the 3D printed eggs. These were then hand-painted by artist and marine biologist Carina Sim-Smith to match the shape, weight, UV resistance, size, color, and texture of real eggs.
Ayla Wiles, a DOC biodiversity ranger for Whangārei, said the fake eggs “allow us to improve productivity and save nests without losing real eggs in the process”. ESF general manager Natalie Jessup added that the replacement eggs successfully maintained nesting sites during risky periods, while the real eggs were safely cared for at Auckland Zoo.
The conservation program has had a record-breaking breeding season, with 22 eggs laid and 14 chicks successfully hatched. The tara iti, once widespread, now breeds at only five main nesting sites in north Auckland: Papakānui Spit, Pākiri Beach, Waipū and Mangawhai sandspits, and Te Ārai Stream mouth.
