which would result in “poor synchrony”. Nesting on river islands, chicks are also vulnerable to flooding. In a January 2018 flood, a single colony lost up to 2500 chicks. Another colony is thought to have lost around 2200 eggs in a flood in November the same year. In October 2019, Mike Turner responded to a proposal for commercial rafting along the Mataura River, citing concerns for the welfare of black-billed gulls. Conservation efforts In October 2018, the Department of Conservation began a trial cull of black-backed gulls along the Hurunui River to control predation of black-billed gull chicks and other threatened bird species. In August 2019, after a successful trial, the Department announced a five-year programme extending to the Waiau Uwha River that aims to reduce the black-backed gull population in the areas by at least eighty per cent. The black-billed gull placed 30th, with 441 votes, in Forest & Bird's 2018 Bird of the Year competition. Gallery References External links Further images and videos on arkive.org. black-billed gull Endemic birds of New Zealand black-billed gull Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN Taxa named by Frederick Hutton (scientist)