Nine juvenile tūturuatu / tchūriwat’ / shore plover were translocated to Portland (Waikawa) Island earlier this month as
part of ongoing efforts to preserve this rare and threatened species, thanks to ongoing efforts by the Department of
Conservation with financial support from the New Zealand Nature Fund.
Hatched in January and raised at the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust in Christchurch, the birds were flown to
Napier on 5 May and escorted to the motu.
Shore plover are small, quirky shorebirds unique to New Zealand, with distinctive dark caps on their heads. Their
tendency to nest on the ground, as well as their territorial nature, makes them highly susceptible to introduced
predators like rats, stoats, and cats. Their survival relies on captive breeding, translocations to predator-free
islands, and island biosecurity.
With only around 250 individual birds in the world, they have the highest possible threat ranking of Threatened:
Nationally Critical.
Other tūturuatu / shore plover populations exist on South East (Rangatira) / Hokorereoro and Mangere Island / Maung’ Rē
Islands in Rēkohu / Wharekauri / Chatham Islands, and Motutapu in the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana.
The translocation was made possible through ongoing partnerships with the New Zealand Nature Fund, the Isaac
Conservation and Wildlife Trust, and Air New Zealand.
Six of the nine juvenile birds (two male, seven female) have parents hatched from the wild eggs translocated from
Rangatira / Hokorereoro Island in 2020, so this translocation will add a welcome genetic boost to the Waikawa motu.
Dave Houston, Shore Plover Recovery Programme Lead and Technical Advisor Ecology for DOC, says that the efforts of the
Recovery Group are paying off.
“Isaac’s have been a key partner with shore plover recovery for the last 18 years,” says Dave, “and we’re extremely
grateful for their ongoing support. The shore plover recovery really is a prime example of conservation being a long
game.
“The birds underwent a health and safety check on arrival to make sure they were not injured in transit. They were
settled into the pre-release aviary, where they spent seven days acclimatising to the motu before being released into
the wild.
“Even with the many challenges associated with this work, and a few setbacks along the way, successes like these are
well worth celebrating.”