A Kakaia chick. Photo: Facebook / Discover Marine and Wildlife Eco Centre Cook Islands
A wildlife sanctuary in the Cook Islands is concerned about the native white tern population after high winds due to recent weather events knocked chicks off their perches.
Gale force winds of up to 90kmph caused by a recent string of cyclones knocked baby birds from their perches, leaving them helpless and at risk.
Discover Wildlife eco-center is urging people to check under trees and get young Kakaia terns that have been knocked down back into the tree.
The mum will more than likely find them, the center posted on Facebook.
"If you aren't able to reunite them, bring them to us and we will raise and release them. We already have four in-house at present."
Discover Wildlife eco-center is rehabilitating dozens of young Kakaia terns.
Director Stephanie Jensen said they have been found injured or lost.
"So the poor local population of birds have been depleted," she aid.
"The Kakaia seem to be able to manage somehow but in those strong winds we can lose a whole generation of kakaia on those branches."
Jensen said conservation of these birds is crucial due to the low population of native species in Rarotonga.
She attributes the low numbers of local birds to various introduced and invasive species that arrived in the country in the late 1900s, including the mynah bird in the 70s as well as ship rats and Norwegian rats.
