Nigel No Mates, the 'world's loneliest bird', dies next to concrete replica he was in love with

Nigel the gannet was the only one of his kind living on Mana Island, off the coast of New Zealand. In February 2018, he was found dead next to a concrete replica of a gannet that he considered to be his lover.

Gannets are large white seabirds with yellowish heads, black-tipped wings and long bills. Hoping to attract them to Mana Island, conservationists built a colony of 80 realistic concrete replicas, placing them on the edge of a desolate cliff, with recordings of bird songs playing on loudspeakers.

15 years after establishing the concrete colony in 1997, their efforts paid off when Nigel arrived. He was the first gannet to settle on Mana Island in 40 years and conservationists hoped more would follow him. However, as the years passed and no other gannets appeared, Nigel eventually earned the affectionate nickname of Nigel "No Mates", the "world's loneliest bird".

Seemingly undisturbed by the isolation, Nigel built a life with the concrete replicas, developing close relationships with them. He even took one of them as his lover, building a nest for her and courting her.

A few months before Nigel's death, conservationists attempted to attract more gannets by repainting the replicas and moving the loudspeakers closer to the ocean. In just 10 days, three more arrived, setting up on another part of the island.

Nigel never acknowledged the new arrivals, preferring to stay with his concrete replica family.

"Whether Nigel was a pioneer or whether he was just a little bit dimwitted, it's really hard to tell. Maybe a combination of both." Chris Bell, a ranger with the New Zealand Department of Conservation, told As It Happens host Carol Off.

Conservationists were disappointed that Nigel died before he had a chance to find a real mate. Still, his contributions will not be forgotten.

"He may have not have acknowledged them, but I think when those birds arrived in the colony and saw these concrete gannets they also saw Nigel," Bell said. "He helped to convince them that this was a bona fide place for gannets to stop and consider it a breeding ground."