Henderson Island Seabird Conservation Effort

We recently featured Tristan de Cunha, a remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean, 1,750 miles away from South Africa. Now move over a bit to the South Pacific Ocean and you’ll come across the Pitcairn Islands and of particular interest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Henderson Island.

Henderson Island is currently encountering problems with an introduced rat population that has been killing off 25,000 petrel birds each year. On the island there are four endemic land birds: Henderson lorikeet, Henderson fruit-dove, Henderson crake, Henderson reed warbler as well as the endangered Henderson Petrel.

Currently The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has taken on the Henderson Island Restoration Project in order to remove the rats that are threatening the species on Henderson Island. In order to raise funds they have begun raffling tickets for two luxury cabins on a cruise that would glide from Tahiti to Easter Island. Project goals include conducting the rat eradication project sometime in 2011 or 2010 depending on fundraising success, boosting the number of birds on the island, and persuading the UK government to take the lead in protecting the biodiversity on Henderson Island.

Only 400 tickets are being sold and only residents of England, Wales, and Scotland may purchase raffle tickets.

To support conservation work in the Pacific or learn more about the project contact Jonathan Hall at 01.76.7 69.3008 or jonathan.hall@rspb.org.uk