Tourism and conservation: The effects of track proximity on avian reproductive success and nest selection in an open sanctuary

While tourism may provide economic benefits for conservation projects, this relationship is unsustainable if visitors reduce the viability of local ecosystems through the disturbance of wildlife. Tiritiri Matangi Island, in New Zealand, encourages tourism in order to fund its ongoing species’ recovery and habitat restoration programs, yet the impact of this tourism on the local wildlife is currently unknown. We examined nest site selection in open nesting forest birds, and the reproductive success and nest box selection of the endangered cavity-nesting stitchbird or hihi Notiomystis cincta, relative to their proximity to public walking tracks. Birds did not avoid nesting near walking tracks and there was no difference between the reproductive parameters of hihi nesting in areas close to public pathways and those in areas where the public had no access. The general population trends of all species monitored on the island suggest that any negative effects posed by tourism are minor and are currently outweighed by the benefits it generates. However, such a relationship is not guaranteed, and ongoing monitoring of tourism impacts on the conservation values of the island is encouraged.