Birds found at Awarua Bay

Wading birds 

• White-faced Heron (Ardea novaehollandiae). Present in moderate numbers throughout the year. Regular mudflat feeder.
• South Island Pied Oystercatcher/torea (Haematopus ostralegus). Present throughout the year. Abundant in summer and autumn.
• Variable Oystercatcher/toreapango (H. unicolor). A few black phase birds generally present throughout the year.
• Hybrid Black/Pied Stilt (H.sp.). One record of two hybrid birds.
• Australasian Pied Stilt/poaka (Himanotopus himanotopus). Present in good numbers throughout the year.
• New Zealand Dotterel/tuturiwhatu (Charadrius obscurus). Breeds on Stewart Island. Up to 30% of the total southern population present in autumn and winter.
• Banded Dotterel (C. bicinctus). Breeds in small numbers. Large summer and autumn flocks.
• Mongolian Dotterel (C. mongolus). A single record of this species.
• Wrybill/ngutuparore (Anarhynchus frontalis). Occasionally recorded.
• Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva). Breeds northeast Siberia and western Alaska. Regular summer visitor.
• Grey Plover (P. squatarola). Breeds northern Europe, Asia and America. Uncommon visitor to New Zealand. Two records from Awarua Bay. More frequently seen at the west end of Waituna Lagoon.
• Spur-winged Plover (Vanellus miles). A few usually present.
• Turnstone (Arenaria interpres). Breeds in northern Europe, Asia and America. Second most common migratory wader. Some birds over-winter each year.
• Lesser Knot/huahou (Calidris canutus). Breeds in arctic Eurasia. Regularly present in moderate numbers, some of winter most years.
• Sanderling (C. alba). Breeds northern Europe, Asia and America. Occasional summer visitor in low numbers. Seldom recorded elsewhere in Southland.
• Curlew Sandpiper (C. ferruginea). Breeds arctic Asia. Regular summer visitor in low numbers.
• Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (C. acuminata). Breeds northeast Siberia. Regular summer visitor in low numbers.
• Pectoral Sandpiper (C. melanotus). One record of a single bird.
• Red-necked Stint (C. ruficollis). Breeds northeast Siberia and northwest Alaska. Occasional summer visitor in moderate numbers.
• Eastern Broad-billed Sandpiper (Limicola falcinellus). Breeds arctic Europe and Asia Rare visitor to New Zealand. One record from Awarua Bay.
• Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis). Breeds northeast Asia. Occasional summer visitor in low numbers.
• Asiatic Whimbrel (N. phaeopus variegata). Breeds northeast Asia. One record of two birds.
• American Whimbrel (N. p. hudsonicus). Breeds northern Canada and Alaska, migrating to Central and South America. Occasionally strays to New Zealand. A very rare summer visitor.
• Eastern Bar-tailed Godwit/kūaka (Limosa lapponica). Breeds eastern Siberia and north Alaska. Most abundant of the migratory waders. Some birds over-winter each year.
• Hudsonian Godwit (L. haemastica). Breeds northwest Canada and Alaska. One record of two birds.
• Siberian (Grey-tailed) Tattler (Tringa brevipes). Breeds northern Asia. Regular summer visitor in low numbers (up to 5). Seldom recorded elsewhere in Southland. Has been known to over-winter.
• Greenshank (T. nebularia). Breeds subarctic Eurasia. Occasional summer visitor seldom recorded elsewhere in Southland.
• Marsh Sandpiper (T. stagnatilis). Breeds eastern Europe to Mongolia. Confirmed sighting in November 1984 was first in Southland.
• Terek Sandpiper (T. terek). Breeds northern Europe and Asia. Rare summer visitor in low numbers.

Waterfowl

• Black Swan (Cygnus atratus). Regularly present but numbers fluctuate seasonally.
• Mallard (Anas platyrhynchus). Present in high numbers throughout the year.
• Grey Duck/parera (A. superciliosa). Occasionally present in low numbers.
  Grey Teal/tete (A. gracilis). A nomadic species periodically recorded in low numbers.
• New Zealand Shoveler/kuruwhengu) (A.rhynchotis). Present in moderate numbers.
• Sooty Shearwater/tītī) (Puffinus griseus). Occasionally seen feeding near head of the bay.

Other species

• Black shag/kōau (Phalacrocorax carbo). Present throughout the year in moderate numbers. Breeds in Waituna wetlands.
• Little shag/kawaupaka (P. melanoleucos). Abundant throughout year. Breeds in Awarua and Waituna swamps.
• Stewart Island shag (Leucocarbo chalconotus). Present in good numbers throughout the year. Breeds in Bluff Harbour.
• Australasian bittern/matuku-hūrepo (Botaurus poiciloptilus). Solitary birds recorded in marginal vegetation, especially on Tiwai Peninsula.
• Spotless Crake/puweto (Porzana tabuensis). Recorded in marginal vegetation at head of bay. Rare in Southland.
• Marsh Crake (P. pusilla). Present in low numbers in marginal vegetation.
• Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica). Breeds Northern Hemisphere and Australia. Rare visitor. At least two records from bay.
• Caspian Tern/taranui (Hydroprogne caspia). Present in low numbers. Has bred at some sites about the bay.
• Black-fronted Tern/tarapiroe (Sterna albostriata). Present in low numbers, especially in mid-summer and autumn.
• White-fronted Tern/tara (S. striata). Resident. Formerly bred on spit by causeway but now largely displaced by black-backed gulls.
• Eastern Little Tern (S. albifrons). Breeds eastern Asia. Rare visitor.
• South Island Fernbird/mātāa (Bowdleria punctata). Resident and breeding in marginal vegetation at head of bay and on Tiwai peninsula.
• Southern black-backed gull/karoro (Larus dominicanus). Present throughout the year in high numbers. Breeding colony on spit by causeway.
• Red-billed gull/tarapunga (L. novaehollandiae). Present throughout the year in moderate numbers. Odd pairs known to breed on spit by causeway.

Related link

The Arawai Kakariki programme - working to restore the Waituna Lagoon/Awarua wetland complex