New Zealand has turned many of its offshore islands into introduced-predator-free sanctuaries for native wildlife but Stoats, also known as Ermine or Short-Tailed Weasel, which were originally introduced to New Zealand to combat the introduced rabbit population, recently showed up on two different offshore islands, one of which was over five kilometers offshore. Previously, scientists had pegged the maximum range of a swimming stoat at 1.5 kilometers. It takes great expense and labor to clear an island of predators and no one can be pleased that the islands might have to be cleared repeatedly.
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
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