<p class="title">New Zealand wildlife lovers are mourning the death of a gannet named Nigel, dubbed "the loneliest bird in the world" due to the absence of any feathered friends on his island home.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Instead the seabird, also known as "no-mates Nigel", spent years living among a colony of fake concrete birds set up by conservationists in a bid to attract wildlife.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The antisocial avian fell in love with one of the decoys on Mana Island, off the Wellington coast, and was seen preening, nesting and even trying to mate with it.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Nigel chose to live on Mana, and we know he was happy there because he could have left anytime and didn't," Department of Conservation ranger Chris Bell said Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It was odd behaviour for a gannet, but every group has their individuals."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bell found Nigel's body lying next to his stony sweetheart late last month and believes he died of old age, although an autopsy is yet to confirm the theory.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sadly, Nigel may have died just as the fake colony was having its desired effect, with Bell reporting that three gannets began visiting Mana in late December.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bell said Australasian gannets like Nigel, while not endangered, needed nesting sites that were not vulnerable to introduced pests such as rats and stoats.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Gannets are extremely social birds and they make their decisions on where to live based on that," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The decoys are our way of telling passing-by gannets that this place is safe, it's predator-free and it would be a good place for them to live."</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said the three gannet newcomers were now regular visitors to the island and may yet set up a colony that could act as Nigel's legacy.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We are conscious that without Nigel the other three might not choose to nest here but only time will tell. We're optimistic," he said.</p>
<p class="title">New Zealand wildlife lovers are mourning the death of a gannet named Nigel, dubbed "the loneliest bird in the world" due to the absence of any feathered friends on his island home.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Instead the seabird, also known as "no-mates Nigel", spent years living among a colony of fake concrete birds set up by conservationists in a bid to attract wildlife.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The antisocial avian fell in love with one of the decoys on Mana Island, off the Wellington coast, and was seen preening, nesting and even trying to mate with it.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Nigel chose to live on Mana, and we know he was happy there because he could have left anytime and didn't," Department of Conservation ranger Chris Bell said Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It was odd behaviour for a gannet, but every group has their individuals."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bell found Nigel's body lying next to his stony sweetheart late last month and believes he died of old age, although an autopsy is yet to confirm the theory.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sadly, Nigel may have died just as the fake colony was having its desired effect, with Bell reporting that three gannets began visiting Mana in late December.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bell said Australasian gannets like Nigel, while not endangered, needed nesting sites that were not vulnerable to introduced pests such as rats and stoats.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Gannets are extremely social birds and they make their decisions on where to live based on that," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The decoys are our way of telling passing-by gannets that this place is safe, it's predator-free and it would be a good place for them to live."</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said the three gannet newcomers were now regular visitors to the island and may yet set up a colony that could act as Nigel's legacy.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We are conscious that without Nigel the other three might not choose to nest here but only time will tell. We're optimistic," he said.</p>