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Australasian Bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus
Matuku
An extremely rare and secretive wetland bird. Perhaps only as few as two dozen bittern remain in the Wairarapa Moana wetlands. A recent survey has confirmed that bittern continue to breed in the larger wetlands. Boggy Pond and Matthews Lagoon have ideal areas with relatively shallow water and dense raupo cover. Bittern can occasionally be spotted feeding along the edge of raupo beds at sites such as Barton’s Lagoon at Lake Domain and at the lakeshore end of the Parera Road Walkway.
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Banded Dotterel, Charadrius bicinctus
Tuturiwhatu
The banded dotterel is a small, handsome shorebird. It breeds throughout New Zealand on riverbeds and both sandy and stony beaches. Approximately 200-250 pairs are known to breed on the beds of several large rivers in the Wairarapa. The majority of these birds migrate to Lake Wairarapa to spend the winter foraging and roosting on the extensive mudflats along the eastern shoreline of the lake. Banded dotterels can be regularly encountered at the Tauherenikau Delta at Lake Domain or on the lakeshore at the end of the Parera Road Walkway.
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Bar-Tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica baueri
Kuaka
The bar-tailed godwit is one of our remarkable international migrants. Each year these birds make a 30,000 km round-trip. They fly between their breeding grounds in western Alaska and their wintering grounds on coastal mudflats the length of New Zealand. Each year about 200 godwits spend the spring and summer months at Lake Wairarapa, arriving in September and leaving again in March. Godwits can occasionally be encountered at the Tauherenikau Delta at Lake Domain. More regularly they are seen on the mudflats at the entrance to the Oporua Floodway which can be viewed from the end of the Parera Road walkway.
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Black Shag, Phalacrocorax carbo novaehollandiae
Kawau
The black shag is a large, conspicuous species that breeds in two nesting colonies in Matthews Lagoon. Black shags can frequently be seen swimming near to shore in Lake Wairarapa or any of the larger lagoons nearby. More commonly these birds can be readily observed perched on the lake shore, on raised logs & fence posts, with their wings outstretched drying in the sun.
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Caspian Tern, Sterna caspia
Taranui
The Caspian tern is the largest tern species in New Zealand. It is relatively rare with only 1300-1400 birds breeding in New Zealand. These birds nest in a small colony on Onoke Spit, the only site at which this species breeds in the lower North Island. Caspian terns can commonly be seen feeding over Lake Onoke, on Lake Wairarapa as far north as Lake Domain and even on some of the larger lagoons nearby. They make a spectacular sight when they plunge-dive from a height of up to 15m to catch prey just below the water’s surface.
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Dabchick, Poliocephalus rufopectus
Weweia
Dabchick are a native grebe that breeds on many of the larger lagoons in the Wairarapa Moana wetlands. Up to 70 birds were counted during a recent survey of some of the larger wetlands. Dabchick are a fairly unusual sight on Lake Wairarapa itself. However, they can be easily spotted swimming around on Barton’s Lagoon at Lake Domain or from the bird hide at Boggy Pond.
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Fernbird, Bowdleria punctata vealeae
Koroatito
The fernbird is one of the few species that has disappeared from the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands within the past century. Fernbirds were last recorded in wetlands along the eastern shoreline of Lake Wairarapa in 1952. Large-scale drainage of wetlands over the following few decades, coupled with the impacts of pest mammals and the spread of weeds such as willow and alder are likely to have contributed to the fernbird’s demise. Current efforts to restore remaining wetland habitats at sites such as Pounui Lagoon, Wairio Wetland and Boggy Pond may one day make it possible to re-introduce fernbirds back to the Wairarapa Moana wetlands after an absence of over 60 years.
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Pied stilt, Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus
Poaka
Pied stilts are one of the most common shorebirds at Lake Wairarapa, with up to 1200 birds being counted along the eastern shoreline during recent surveys. Many of these birds are likely to be birds that breed on nearby farmland and riverbeds, but migrate to Lake Wairarapa for the winter months. Pied stilts can be readily seen on the margins of Lake Wairarapa, Lake Onoke and adjacent lagoons.
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Paradise Shelduck, Tadorna variegata
Putangitangi
Paradise shelducks are one of the most common species of waterfowl to be found in the Wairarapa Moana wetlands. Males and females can be readily told apart; female birds have a chestnut brown body and white head, while male birds have a dark, dusky grey body and head. Paradise shelducks can be easily spotted almost anywhere in the Wairarapa Moana wetlands, and often advertise their presence with their loud, high pitched calls when alarmed or disturbed.
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Pukeko, Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus
Pukeko
Pukekos are the most common rail in the Wairarapa Moana wetlands. They can be frequently seen stalking along the edges of the many lagoons, or foraging in nearby farm paddocks. Pukekos have adapted well to changing land use in New Zealand. Numbers of this species have increased greatly at a time during which many wetland bird species have been undergoing substantial declines.
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Royal spoonbill, Platalea regia
Kotuku Ngutupapa
The royal spoonbill is one of the largest and most conspicuous birds to be found at Lake Wairarapa. Numbers have been increasing in recent years, and spoonbills have even begun nesting at one of Wairarapa Moana’s more secluded lagoons, which is the first time this species has been recorded breeding in the Wairarapa. Because of their large size and conspicuous colour and shape spoonbills are relatively easy to spot, and can be regularly spotted at the Tauherenikau Delta from Lake Domain.
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Spotless crake Porzana tabuensis
Puweto
The spotless crake is a tiny, secretive rail that lives in dense stands of raupo and only rarely ventures out into the open. Spotless crakes had been recorded in small numbers from a number of the wetlands adjacent to Lake Wairarapa during in the early 1980’s, but until recently there had been no further records, prompting a number of people to speculate that they may now be locally extinct. A bird survey carried out in 2012 however “rediscovered” a small population of these birds and confirmed that they still persist in the Wairarapa Moana wetlands. Spotless crake are extremely difficult to spot, but may occasionally be spotted foraging along the edge of raupo stands in the Wairio Wetlands and Boggy Pond.
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