Tarapirohe breed only on the braided riverbeds of the eastern and southern South Island.

The black-fronted tern has a small global population, estimated to be between 5-10,000 individuals. The population has declined significantly since European settlement and is continuing to do so.

Black-fronted terns breed in a dynamic habitat, and are threatened by many factors. These include habitat loss due to hydroelectricity development, weed encroachment of braided river breeding habitat, and recreational use of rivers. The most significant impact is predation by introduced mammalian predators, rats, stoats, ferrets, feral cats, and hedgehogs. On some rivers there is significant predation by southern black-backed gulls and swamp harriers.

It is one of the target species in our Braided Rivers Project.

Photo: Barry Harcourt DOC, Craig McKenzie, Glenda Rees