Hawke's BayAhuriri Wildlife Refuge

Pandora Pond

Humber Street

Meeanee Quay

Pandora Road

SouthernMarsh

WestshoreWildlifeReserve

Bird hideAhuriri Estuary Walking TrackHawke's Bay Trail

Dog Owners:Dog exercise area (off leash permitted)Dogs on leash at all timesDogs prohibited

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0 100 200 mR111550Basemap by LINZ Data Service

2B

DogsDogs are a threat to the estuary’s birdlife. They are only permitted where shown on the map, and must be on a leash where indicated. Dogs are forbidden within the wildlife refuge at all times. Penalties may apply, including prosecution.

Photo: Louise McNamara

Photo: Louise McNamara

For further information on New Zealand Birds, visit www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz.

Tourist informationNapier i-SITE Visitor Information Centre 100 Marine Parade, PO Box 722, Napier 4140

Tel: +64 6 834 1911 or 0800 VISITUS (84 74 88) Fax: +64 6 835 7219 Email: info@napiernz.com

To report safety hazards or conservation emergencies:

COVER PHOTO: Bar-tailed godwit. Andrew Walmsley

Published by: Department of Conservation, Ahuriri/Napier Office, PO Box 644, Napier 4140

June 2017

Editing and design: Publishing team, DOC National Office

This publication is produced using paper sourced from well-managed, renewable and legally logged forests.

New Zealand migratory waterbirds

Tara/White-fronted tern Threat status: At Risk

The most common tern in New Zealand, tara breed in large, short-lived colonies on sandy beaches, low-lying sandspits, shingle or shell banks, and rocky islets. It is also known as the ‘kahawai bird’, as flocks often feed over shoals of fish at sea.

Some (mainly immature) birds disperse in autumn to the southeast coast of Australia. Most tara remain in New Zealand over winter.

Ngutu pare/Wrybill Threat status: Nationally Vulnerable

Endemic to New Zealand, the wrybill is the world’s only bird with a laterally-curved bill (always to the right). It uses this unique appendage to reach invertebrates under rocks in rivers, and small crustaceans in tidal mudflats. It often rests on high-tide roosting sites.

The wrybill breeds on braided rivers in Canterbury and parts of inland Otago. After breeding, most of them fly north to large tidal harbours between late December and early January, returning in August. About 5–10% stay in the north in summer.

Kōtuku-ngutupapa/Royal spoonbill Threat status: Naturally Uncommon

These birds have been coming to New Zealand for more than 100 years, but only began breeding here in 1949. The total New Zealand population has grown from 52 in 1977 to 959 in 1996; 107 have been seen at the Ahuriri Estuary. They breed mostly in the South Island, in autumn.

The gregarious kōtuku-ngutupapa always fly, feed and roost in small flocks all over the estuary and surrounding wetlands. They feed day and night in tidal mudflats by sweeping their bills in sideways arcs, looking for small invertebrates, fish and frogs.

Photo: Leon Berard

Photo: Stewart Baird (stewartbaird.com)Photo: Andrew Walmsley (andrewwalmsleyphotography.com)

Other species seen include the black-fronted dotterel, kōtuku/white heron, tōrea/South Island pied oystercatcher and

tōrea pango/variable oystercatcher.With the range of environments it offers to endemic, native and migratory bird species, the Ahuriri Estuary is one of the most significant habitats of its type on the east coast of the North Island.

Of the original 3,840 ha of Te Whanganui-ā-Orotu (the inner harbour estuary) existing prior to the 1931 Napier earthquake, only 470 ha remain. This protected area, the Ahuriri Estuary (which includes the Westshore Wildlife Reserve, Southern Marsh and the North Pond), has a range of habitats important to birds, fish, invertebrates and plant life. It is therefore crucial the estuary remains undisturbed.

Over 70 resident and migratory bird species feed and rest here. Many birds arrive each year from their arctic breeding grounds to recover and rebuild body condition and energy levels, before returning for the next round of nesting and chick raising. Others gather here over winter to take advantage of the estuary’s abundant food supplies.

New Zealand resident waterbirds

* New Zealand birds are graded according to their threat of extinction, using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS).

Visit www.doc.govt.nz/nature/conservation-status for more information.

Poaka/Pied Stilt Threat status: Not Threatened*

Found in brackish estuaries and saltmarshes to lakes, swamps and braided rivers, the estuary’s poaka population is in the hundreds. They nest on shingle riverbeds, dunes and pastures.

Poaka are very sociable and tend to stay in groups (often with other waders), feeding and roosting in large, noisy flocks. They mainly feed on invertebrates: terrestrial insects and worms when on land, and aquatic insects and larvae when in ponds, swamps and estuaries.

Photo: Rod Hay

Karoro/Black-billed gull Threat status: Nationally Critical

Endemic to New Zealand, the karoro is the most threatened gull species in the world. They nest in noisy, dense colonies, mainly on inland riverbeds in Southland; a few nest in the North Island. Locations often change from year to year.

These birds feed on invertebrates from rivers and pastures in the breeding season (and also on fish such as whitebait), and coastal fish and marine invertebrates in winter. Karoro are threatened by introduced predators, weed encroachment on riverbeds, changes in agricultural practices, lack of food, and human disturbance.

Photo: Andrew Walmsley (andrewwalmsleyphotography.com)

Kawau/Black Shag Threat status: Naturally Uncommon

The largest of the shag species, kawau adults usually remain within a few kilometres of their nest; however, a few juveniles disperse widely. Kawau occupy many habitats: sheltered coastal waters, estuaries, harbours, rivers, streams, dams and lakes. They often roost in small groups in trees, and on logs or rocks.

Kawau usually feed alone, mainly on small and medium-sized fish – but occasionally, if prey is abundant, they form flocks to forage cooperatively.

Photo: © Janice McKenna

Matuku/Australasian bittern Threat status: Nationally Critical

Matuku live in tall, dense beds of raupō and reeds in freshwater wetlands; they also like damp pasture infested with tall clumps of rush or grass. The population has declined to an estimated 900 birds, due to drainage and reclamation of wetlands, predation, human disturbance and cattle grazing in swamps (which damages breeding cover). Habitat loss is their greatest threat. They feed mainly on fish, including eels, but also take spiders, insects, molluscs, worms, freshwater crayfish, frogs and lizards.

Males produce distinctive ‘booming’ calls during the breeding season. Sightings are rare as their solitary nature and inconspicuous plumage allows them to blend into the background.

Other species commonly seen include pūkeko, spur-winged plover, rakiraki/mallard, matuku moana/white-faced heron, tūturiwhatu/New Zealand dotterel, pohowera/banded dotterel and taranui/Caspian tern.

Photo: Dick Veitch

Photo: Andrew Walmsley

Northern hemisphere migrants

Photo: Tom Marshall

Pacific golden plover Threat Status: Non-resident native/

Migrant

Plovers breed annually on the Arctic tundra of Siberia and Alaska. They migrate south, arriving in New Zealand from September to November, and depart northwards from late March to early April.

They are usually seen in small groups, feeding in grassland, saltmarshes and tidal mudflats.

Huahou/Lesser knot Threat Status: Nationally Vulnerable

Huahou breed in Siberia, and spend winter in temperate and tropical estuaries of both hemispheres. They reach New Zealand between September and October, and return north between March and April. Muted for much of the year, their plumage moults in February and March to a rich reddish breeding colour from which they get their name – the red knot.

They feed in flocks, mainly on small molluscs, cockles, and gastropods such as welks, close to the tideline on intertidal mudflats and sandflats – often alongside kuaka.

Photo: Cheryl Walton

Other species sometimes seen include ruddy turnstone, far-easterncurlew, American and Asian whimbel, Siberian tattler and red-necked stint.

Photo: Andrew Walmsley (andrewwalmsleyphotography.com)

© Adrian Riegen 2017

29,000 km annual migration ofbar-tailed godwits

to and from New Zealand

Early May to August to breed Alaska

March toearly May

to refuel

Yellow Sea

Arrive New ZealandSeptember–October

Depart New ZealandMarch–April

11–1

2,00

0 km

10,000 km non-stop

7,000 km

no

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top

Bar

-taile

d godwit migration path

Kuaka/Bar-tailed godwit Threat status: At Risk

Kuaka are culturally significant for many New Zealanders. They were birds of mystery to Māori – as the proverb relates, “Kua kite te kohanga kuaka?” (Who has seen the nest of the kuaka?).

Most of the 80,000 kuaka arriving in spring from the Arctic head for the Kaipara and Manukau harbours, Firth of Thames, Farewell Spit, and the Estuary of the Heathcote and Avon Rivers/Ihutai near Christchurch. Their 11,000–12,000 km journey takes 8–9 days – the longest known non-stop flight of any bird.

Breeding birds return to the Arctic along the East Asian – Australasian Flyway around March. They stock up on food (doubling their body mass) for the flight, using stopovers to arrive in good breeding condition in May.

They feed in large flocks on molluscs, crabs, marine worms and aquatic insects, probing the mud with their long bills as the tide recedes.