A place for kids, their teachers and caregivers to find out more about seabirds, including school resources and our virtual Wonder Gallery.

Seabirds have amazing lives. Did you know?

• most rest and sleep at sea on the waves
• they sneeze excess salt out of their bodies
• a great sense of smell helps them find food even when it’s kilometres away
• when a hunting gannet sights a fish it will plummet into the water at speeds up to 145km per hour
• sooty shearwaters travel on average 64,000 kilometers in less than a year – across the entire Pacific Ocean, from Antarctic waters to the Bering Sea and from Japan to Chile

New Zealand is often called the seabird capital of the world – we have 85 species of seabirds that nest on the mainland and offshore islands. Some stay in New Zealand waters year-round, others migrate and only return here to breed.

In recent times many seabird species have become threatened or endangered. Some of the greatest threats include loss of habitat, introduced predators, being caught or killed in fishing nets or on baited hooks, eating or becoming tangled up in plastic, oil spills and climate change.

All around New Zealand people are working to help our seabirds. School students are restoring nesting habitats, people are trapping predators and others are developing ways to keep seabirds away from fishing boats so they won’t accidentally be caught on hooks or in nets.

Our 10 web-based fact sheets give school children aged 7- 11 an opportunity to explore the lives of seabirds and why New Zealand is considered the seabird capital of the world. The fact sheets are available in both English and Maori. 

Along with information about seabird ecology and human interactions, the fact sheets emphasise conservation efforts and the cultural importance of seabirds. They also highlight actions each of us can take to benefits our seabirds and oceans. 

Our lesson plans give teachers ideas for the fact sheets.

The fact sheets and lesson plans are linked to New Zealand's school curriculum.

Special thanks to the Department of Conservation for funding the development of the fact sheets and lesson plans.  Te Ohu Kaimoana and the Department of Conservation generously funded the Maori translation of the fact sheets.