Would you scramble into a ‘horrible hole’ to count bird chicks? How about counting the regurgitated remains of a meal? It’s all in a day’s work for Alan Tennyson, a Te Papa scientist studying broad-billed prions (pararā).
Can you mimic a bird as well as Alan can mimic a prion? We dare you to try!
We wish to thank the Department of Conservation, Hokonui Rūnaka, Te Rūnanga o Awarua, Te Rūnanga o Ōraka-Aparima, and Waihōpai Rūnaka.

Expedition Snares Islands: Science Live @ Te Papa
Read our scientists’ blogs about their research on the remote Snares Islands.
This video was filmed as part of Expedition Snares Islands, a Science Live episode live-streamed in March 2014.
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That was very interesting, thank you. Great to see the broad billed prion up close and also the baby.
Glad you enjoyed it! It’s always a treat seeing these unique species up close.