Radiolab · Podcast summary

Nigel and the Real Gannet

In this episode, Annie McEwen tells the story of Nigel, a gannet who fell in love with a concrete decoy, and the conservationists who hoped his presence would attract other gannets to a new colony.

Radiolab · August 14, 2026 · 26-min episode · 6-min read

Key takeaways

🚜Mana Island was once heavily farmed, leading to significant ecological damage before conservation efforts began.02:37
🐦The Department of Conservation used concrete gannet decoys and recorded sounds to attract real gannets to Mana Island.05:33
⏳The decoy gannet project was initially a failure for nearly 20 years, with no real gannets arriving.06:44
❤️Nigel, the first real gannet to arrive, developed a unique bond with one of the concrete decoys, performing courtship rituals with it.07:51
🏡Nigel built a nest for his concrete mate, demonstrating his commitment to the decoy.09:00
💔Despite the arrival of other live gannets, Nigel remained loyal to his concrete partner, ignoring the new birds.15:37

Chapters

0:49Introduction to Mana Island and Chris Bell
3:53Mana Island's Ecological Restoration
5:00The Decoy Gannet Colony
9:51Nigel's Arrival and Unconventional Love
18:41The Colony Expands, Nigel's Loyalty Endures
28:42Nigel's Demise and Lasting Legacy
31:59The Unknowable Desires of a Gannet

The digest

RadioLab's Latif Nasser introduces Annie McEwen, who shares a peculiar story about a small life that touched people all over the world. The story begins with Chris Bell, a total loner who, a decade ago, was the sole inhabitant of Mana Island, off the west coast of New Zealand. Mana Island is described as the perfect size, not too big or too small, taking about an hour and a half to walk across. It features cliffs, a high grassy plateau, shrubs, and woodland. Chris lived there in an old farmhouse, making his own food and sharing the house with handfuls of geckos. He often spent 10 days without seeing or hearing another human.

Mana Island's Transformation

Mana Island was once farmland for over a hundred years, leading to a significant decline in wildlife. Sheep and cows ate all the grass and trees, and invasive species like mice arrived, preying on the eggs of birds and lizards. This reduced the ecosystem to a wasteland. In the 1980s, the Department of Conservation of New Zealand stepped in, removing all the mice and sheep. Once the pests were gone, planting and restoration began. The island was then designated as a safe haven for fragile species, including McGregor's skink, gold-striped gecko, Cook Strait giant weta (a large, lumbering grasshopper), kiwi birds, little blue penguins (kororās), and the endangered takahe (a giant blue chicken).