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Three hundred and eighty one sooty shearwaters (
Puffinus griseus), 2,209 New Zealand white‑faced storm petrels (
Pelagodroma marina maoriana) and 14,546 fairy prions (
Pachyptila turtur) were banded at Motunau Island, Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand between 1960 and 1999. One sooty shearwater was recovered off the coast of Washington State, USA and 4 others off Motunau Island; the oldest sooty shearwater recovered was found near Taieri airport over 23 years after banding as an adult. Only 1 white-faced storm petrel was recaptured away from Motunau Island and that was found alive on Pitt Island, Chatham Islands. The oldest white-faced storm petrel recovered was found alive on Motunau Island nearly 13 years after banding. Fourteen fairy prions were found on New Zealand’s east coast between Brighton Beach, Christchurch, and Hikutaia near Thames. One fairy prion from Stephens Island and 2 from The Brothers were found at Motunau Island; one was the oldest bird recovered at over 21 years since banding as an adult. Estimates of population sizes based on recapture numbers were 300 for sooty shearwater, 1,300 for white-faced storm petrel and 50,000-60,000 for fairy prion.