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HABITAT – The NZ Dotterel is often found
on sandy beaches on the east coast of
New Zealand, normally from August to
March. There are many Dotterels on the coast
of the Coromandel Peninsula. NZ Dotterels
usually nest in or near the dunes. In Tairua
we have a lot of Dotterels hiding in the dune
grasses; even more nest at Opoutere Beach.
BREEDING – Parents lay their eggs between
spring and summer, usually three eggs per
‘nest’, which is often just an indentation in the
sand. Dotterel eggs look like small oval pebbles,
and are highly camouflaged, which makes them
hard to see and easy to accidentally stand
on. An egg takes about 28 days to hatch; the
chicks can walk the same day they hatch and
can normally fly within 6 – 8 weeks.
CONSERVATION EFFORTS – Breeding
success of the Northern New Zealand Dotterel
is usually low at unmanaged sites (where there
are no info signs or fencing to protect the area).
The main threats to Dotterels are the loss of
eggs and chicks to predators, human activities
in nesting areas, and loss of nests to big tides.
HOW YOU CAN HELP – You can help by
staying clear of Dotterel nesting areas; keep
dogs and vehicles off beaches and sandpits
when Dotterels are present. Signs will soon
be put up informing the Tairua public about
Dotterel breeding times and cautions. Fences
will also be erected deter humans from
destroying their habitats.
So please, next time you go to Tairua or any
other coastal beach please stay off the dunes,
caring for the
ENDANGERED
NZ DOTTEREL
TAIRUA SCHOOL ... DEVELOPING GLOBAL CITIZENS
We are a group of students from Tairua School;
and in line with NZ Conservation Week, we
participated in an inquiry project to choose
an endangered New Zealand native specie
– to research it and to investigate the issues
causing the decrease in population.
Then in groups, we had to come up with a
plan to help conserve one of our endangered
species. Our group chose the Dotterel, an
important specie in our community, and we
knew we could make a difference.
We entered in the Habitat Heroes competition
(run by DOC), and as part of our action
plan project we are trying to win the $750
competition prize to put towards the
conservation of the Dotterel.
if we won the prize money we would put it
towards this: We would like to install more
permanent DOC Dotterel information signs
at each of the 7 beach access points along
Tairua main beach: now there is only one, at
the north end access.
As part of our project action plan, our group
will be going out to the local Tairua beach next
term with a DOC ranger to put up fences and
signs made by junior Tairua School students
(see below centre) to make the public aware
of the Dotterel nests at Tairua Beach during
breeding time. We will put these signs on the
beach next to the fences along the dunes so
the public knows the two are connected.
The New Zealand Dotterel is a very special
icon to us as we live on the coast, and it would
be very upsetting if this bird became extinct.
So please obey the signs and do what you can
to help us save the NZ Dotterel!
Project and article by Tairua School Dotterel
Conservation Group: Stella Cory-Wright
(pictured), Hunter Crowe, Jessica Kinzett, Lilly
Harvey, and Cameron Kilpatrick.
keep dogs away from fenced areas and stop
them from chasing the Dotterels.
Thank you for caring for our local environment
and thank you for caring for the endangered
New Zealand Native Dotterel!
TO LEARN MORE OR BE INVOLVED...
Contact Nicola Miller (Local Dotterel Ranger) at
DOC Hauraki Office at
07 867 9180,
Read about NZ Conservation Week projects
here:
All Tairua Habitat Heroes competition class
entries can be viewed at
com/doc-habitat-heroes-competition/