
Henderson Island restoration programme
Situated more than 3,000 miles from the nearest continent, Henderson Island (Pitcairn Group, UK Overseas Territory) is one of the most remote islands on the planet. It is also the world's last large limestone island still in a near-pristine condition.

Objectives
- Prevent the extinction of the Henderson petrel
- Boost populations of the four endemic landbird species
- Increase populations of the estimated 30+ endemic invertebrate species
- Allow the recovery of natural flora
- Dramatically boost seabird numbers on Henderson. Research suggests populations could increase by up to a hundred-fold, creating a veritable haven for biodiversity
- Involve the Pitcairn Islanders and other key groups in saving this World Heritage Site.
Progress
- January 2008: A feasibility study commissioned by the RSPB found eradicating rats from Henderson Island was technically feasible, though highlighted two outstanding questions
- August-September 2009: A field expedition to Henderson, part of the OTEP-funded project 'Preparing for rat eradication on Henderson Island World Heritage Site', resolved all outstanding issues and gave the green light
- July-November 2011: Two field teams implemented a rodent eradication project on Henderson Island. At 43 square kilometres, Henderson is the largest tropical or sub-tropical island ever targeted for a rat eradication
- March 2012: National Geographic expedition to Henderson Island films a live rat on Henderson Island. The RSPB responded
- May 2012: RSPB mounted a rapid response survey and confirms rats are still present on the island
- November 2012: We implement three independent reviews of the eradication operation while at the same time conduct a more detailed survey of Henderson birds and the rebounding rat population
- July - August 2012: A nine week research expedition to Henderson Island, funded by the Darwin Initiative, identifies that rats are not yet back to pre-eradication levels but this will not last. The operation may have failed but for a brief period, sea and land bird fledgling success would have seen significant improvements
- May - November 2015: The RSPB mounts a six-month expedition to Henderson Island. This expedition was designed to learn more about the ecology of rats and Henderson Island. The results from this expedition are already informing our strategy towards a second attempt to restore this World Heritage Site.
Species affected (not UK birds)
Planned Work
Partners
Funding
- The Darwin Initiative
- Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP)
- David & Lucile Packard Foundation
- UK Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)
- Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)
- BBC Wildlife Fund
- JNCC
- Zegrahm Expeditions
- The New Zealand Society and Projects Abroad.
Download
A report on fieldwork carried out on Henderson Island, Pitcairn Island Group, South Pacific, for 27 weeks from 19 May until 22 November, 2015. PDF, 3.74Mb. 12 September 2016
Henderson Island Expedition Report - May-November 2015Latest news on the Henderson Island project. PDF, 3.27Mb. 29 October 2015
Henderson Island News: October 2015Latest news on the Henderson Island project. PDF, 2.39Mb. 1 May 2015
Henderson Island News: Issue 8Latest news on the Henderson Island project. PDF, 1.09Mb. 22 July 2013
Henderson Island News: Issue 6Latest news on the Henderson Island project. PDF, 1.04Mb. 21 December 2011
Henderson Island News: Issue 5Latest news on the Henderson Island project. PDF, 1.06Mb. 29 June 2011
Henderson Island News: Issue 4Latest news on the Henderson Island project. PDF, 3.47Mb. 25 January 2011
Henderson Island News: Issue 3Latest news on the Henderson Island project. PDF, 1.13Mb. 14 September 2010
Henderson Island News: Issue 2Latest news on the Henderson Island project. PDF, 1.15Mb. 28 July 2010
Henderson Island News: Issue 1Frequently asked questions regarding the Henderson Island Restoration Project. PDF, 127Kb. 11 November 2010
Henderson Island FAQsMonitoring the population of Murphy’s petrels on Oeno atoll: a census protocol. PDF, 242Kb. 26 October 2015
Oeno Island monitoring: a protocolWord, 44Kb. 26 October 2015
Table 1. Field sheet for recording number of petrel nests in 19 circular plots of 8 m radiusGallery
Contacts
