<I>Puffinus griseus</I>

Recent research into the origins and compositions of the stomach oils unique to sea-birds of the order Procellariiformes is reviewed. The sources of these oils, most of which contain mainly wax esters and/or triglycerides, is discussed in relation to the presence of such compounds in the marine environment. A number of functions are proposed as the ecological roles of the oils, including their use as slowly-mobilisable energy and water reserves for adults and chicks and as defensive weaponry for surface-nesting species.

Rakiura Maori annually harvest sooty shearwater (Puffinus griseus) chicks from islands in Foveaux Strait and adjacent to Stewart Island, New Zealand. Chick availability and the number of chicks harvested were estimated during the 1994 and 1995 seasons on Poutama (Evening Island). Burrow entrance densities estimated using circular plots were significantly higher in 1994 (0.45 ± 0.03 per m) than in 1995 (0.41 ± 0.03 per m). A similar burrow entrance density (0.45 ± 0.04 per m) was obtained in 1995 using a transect sampling technique.