For the birds

Horizons Regional Council is to embark on a carefully-planned pest control at Manawatu River estuary to protect its most cherished inhabitants.


The arrival of migrating birds – notably bar-tailed godwits, known for their record, non-stop trans-Pacific endurance flights - to the mudflats and wetlands at Foxton Beach provides a reminder that this internationally-recognised bird sanctuary is particularly precious at this time of year.


“Tens of thousands of wading birds travel to this unique habitat to settle over the summer,” says Horizons’ biodiversity manager Alistair Beveridge.


Unfortunately, as the birds arrive, the threat from predators increases.


Wild cats and ferrets, already drawn by rabbits that are threatening the area’s wild sand dunes, will also seek to prey upon the adult birds, their chicks and eggs.


“We obviously need to combat this, and intend to do so with a baiting and trapping programme starting imminently,” Mr Beveridge says.


The rabbits will be targeted with bait while cages will be set for live capture of the cats and ferrets.


Over the past fortnight the estuary has seen the arrival of two international travellers, the bar-tailed godwit and the less well-known Pacific golden plover.


Both have travelled from Siberia. For the godwits, this is a non-stop journey taking more than a week and covering more than 10,000 kilometres. The plovers start in northern Siberia and come down the Pacific via Asian coastlines and the Philippines.


“Also resident here at this time are equally important species found only in New Zealand, including the wrybill and the dotterel.”


Mr Beveridge says it would be a huge shame for these treasured birds to fall victim to predators.


“There will be signs pointing out where the trapping and baiting stations are placed, and we’d ask people to keep out of those areas. Rest assured, any domestic cats caught in the cages will be released again,” he says.


“This sort of programme is imperative. Successful predator control will massively increase the survival rates of these plucky bird species, which would be fantastic.”