Bermudian conservationist Jeremy Madeiros has received a top honour for his work to help save the cahow from extinction.

Mr Madeiros has been given the prestigious Blue Turtle Award for his cahow translocation project that began in 2004.

Over the following four years he moved 102 near-fledged chicks from their original nests to artificial burrows on Nonsuch Island Nature Reserve.

This programme helped the breeding population increase from 18 pairs producing eight chicks annually to a new record number last year of 105 breeding pairs producing 53 successfully fledged chicks.

The Senior Terrestrial Conservation Officer with the Department of Conservation Services said: “I am very surprised and honoured to have received this award, which I would like to accept on behalf of all of my fellow researchers, workers and volunteers, who have provided assistance and support for this challenging and demanding project.

“Special thanks to Nicholas Carlile and David Priddell of the New South Wales Department of the Environment and Climate Change, for special inspiration, training and instruction, without which the translocation programme could not have taken place.

“It is a privilege to work with such a fascinating species and symbol of Bermuda, thought to be extinct for so long, but which has proven to be such a tough survivor, providing hope for other endangered species around the world.”

In 2013 Mr Madeiros began a second four-year translocation project to establish another colony on Nonsuch Island.

Drew Pettit, Director of the Department of Conservation Services said: “This award is the first for Bermuda and reflects an incredible determination to save a species from extinction.

“Over the last 14 years, Jeremy has volunteered hundreds of nights, working in difficult conditions, to hand-feed the chicks, until they were ready to fledge.

“Along the way Jeremy has developed new and innovative techniques that will undoubtedly be used by other scientists trying to save species in similar circumstances.”

The Blue Turtle Award was launched in 2009 and is given out annually by the UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) for nature conservation work undertaken by an individual or group of individuals, from an Overseas Territory or Crown Dependency.

Mr Madeiros was nominated for the award by the Bermuda Audubon Society.

Minister of Environment, Jeanne Atherden, said: “On behalf of everyone in the Ministry, I’d like to extend my congratulations to Mr Madeiros.

“It’s wonderful that his hard work and dedication to ensuring the recovery of Bermuda’s cahow has been recognised by this prestigious international award. We all wish Mr. Madeiros well and much continued success.”

JNCC’s Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies Programme Manager Tony Weighell, one of the award’s judges, said: “Jeremy has shown outstanding personal commitment to the conservation of the Bermuda petrel.

“The award recognises not only his commitment but the undoubted support of friends and family which made it possible for him to spend many nights working under difficult conditions hand-feeding chicks.”