The Sisters (New Zealand)

The Sisters, or Rangitatahi in Maori,[1] is a group of three islands located 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of Cape Pattison, Chatham Island. They are the northernmost members of the Chatham Archipelago, located 800 kilometres (497 mi) east of New Zealand's South Island.

The Sisters
Native name:
Rangitatahi
Map showing location of The Sisters/Rangitatahi
Geography
Coordinates43.5647°S 176.808°W / -43.5647; -176.808
ArchipelagoChatham Islands
Administration
Demographics
Population0

The islands are:

  • Big Sister (Rangitatahi proper[1])
  • Middle Sister (Te Awanui[1])
  • Little Sister
  • The Sisters (Rangitatahi) from Cape Young, which is 20 km (12 mi) south east of The Sisters
  • Cape Young and The Sisters (Rangitatahi)

Fauna

The islands have the second largest breeding colony of the northern royal albatross, and provide breeding sites for Buller's albatross, northern giant petrel, fairy prion, broad-billed prion, sooty shearwater, common diving petrel, grey-backed storm petrel, white-faced storm petrel, pitt shag, subantarctic skua, red-billed gull, and white-fronted tern.[1] The site has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports Buller's albatrosses and northern giant petrels.[2]

A species of stag beetle called Geodorcus sororum is endemic to the islands.[3]

See also

References
  1. Government of New Zealand, Dept. of Conservation (1999) Chatham IslandsConservation Management Strategy. Accessed on 2012-07-13.
  2. "Chatham Islands (The Sisters)". BirdLife data zone: Important Bird Areas. BirdLife International. 2012. Archived from the original on 10 July 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  3. Holloway, B.A. "Lucanidae (Insecta: Coleoptera)" (PDF). Landcare New Zealand. Landcare Research. Retrieved 28 July 2017.

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