It comes as it was discovered the total number of red-billed gulls purposefully run over at the Royal Albatross car park earlier this month was closer to 70 birds, rather than the previously reported 30.
Otago Peninsula Trust ecotourism manager Hoani Langsbury said the CCTV that showed two cars and a quad bike hooning around the car park early on February 6, also showed another car doing a U-turn into a flock of gulls later that morning.
It brought the number of gulls killed to about 70.
Mr Langsbury said it was only two to three weeks before the red-billed gulls would be leaving the headland, and the 70 gulls killed made up about 4% of the colony from this breeding season.
The distressing incident could affect how many gulls returned.
"Our estimate ... is that about 20% of the chicks that fledge from there return as adults, so it may be that with this season’s breeders we only see 15% return."
The colony at Taiaroa Head was the only colony in New Zealand that was not in decline, he said.
Mr Langsbury said he had managed to go out to the headland at night and safely navigate the car park, at a slow speed, without killing any birds.
"It is about acting appropriately."
It seemed whoever was responsible did not value red-billed gulls and their place in the natural environment, he said.
"They probably just see them as pests, when actually red-billed gulls are good indicators of the heath of the marine environment — they’re surface foragers, they don’t go into town and forage from people."
The birds should be treated with respect, he said.
Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen said a police investigation into the incident was "progressing favourably" in regards to identifying those responsible.
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It is vital that that culprits are caught and the full force of the law is brought down on these animal murders. We all must do more to protect our natural planet and it's wildlife.
The last major report into the state of NZ's environment stated that almost two-thirds of our rare ecosystems are under threat of collapse, and over the last 15 years the extinction risk worsened for 86 species, compared with the conservation status of just 26 species improving in the past 10 years. At least 75 animal and plant species having gone extinct since human settlement and currently 90% of seabirds and 80% of shorebirds are threatened with or at risk of extinction.