Protecting River Birds.

Every spring and summer, the braided riverbeds of Canterbury become home to some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most vulnerable native birds. Species like the wrybill, ngutu pare; black-fronted tern, tarapirohe; and banded dotterel, pohowera rely on these stony habitats to feed, nest and raise their young.

To protect these birds, Central Plains Water Limited (CPWL) commissions an independent avifauna ecologist to carry out bird surveys before any work begins near the Rakaia and Waimakariri river intakes, both located on braided rivers. These rivers are vital ecological corridors — biodiversity hotspots that are also culturally significant, providing habitats for unique species while supporting recreation and river ecosystems.

From September 2024 to April 2025, independent ecologists from Wildland Consultants Ltd conducted a series of surveys on foot, identifying nesting activity and mapping bird presence ahead of any planned works. Although CPWL is consented to conduct surveys from September to February, monitoring continued until the end of April 2025 to ensure late-nesting birds were protected through to migration.

• Banded dotterel, pohowera seen nesting and raising chicks;
• Wrybill, ngutu pare observed foraging and showing territorial behaviour;
• Black-fronted terns, tarapirohe seen nesting, though a few sites were later abandoned;
• Regular sightings of South Island pied oystercatchers, tōrea; pied stilts, poaka; black-backed gulls, karoro; andwhite-faced herons, and matuku moana.

In total, sightings of 16 species were recorded, including four listed as nationally threatened and several in gradual decline. When active nests were found, buffer zones were established wherever possible. Sites were also revisited if works paused for more than eight working days, ensuring no birds had re-established nests during downtime.

This careful approach not only meets the consent conditions but also deepens our understanding of how and when CPWL operations impact bird populations. Importantly, it helps uphold the mauri of wāhi taonga — places treasured for their ecological and cultural importance. It’s a small yet critical step towards keeping our river ecosystem balanced, protected and resilient.