Dotterel approaches 21st birthday

Birdwatcher and Waipu AboutTern volunteer Sue Steedman kept a close eye on a NZ Dotterel in the Waipu estuary after she noted it was sporting a single metal band. She took a photo of the bird at its high tide roost site, and sent it along its serial number, to environmental scientist and dotterel expert, John Dowding.

Dowding responded saying, "D-166584 was banded as a chick at Mangawhai Spit in December 1996, so is now approaching 21-years-old. It was originally colour-banded BM-WY, and found breeding at Waipu at three years of age in the 1999/2000 season."

In October 2004, when it was still breeding at Waipu, Dowding caught it and removed the colour bands. "They were full of grit and brittle and likely to cause problems."

Sue's sighting was the first record of the bird since 2004.

Birthday Bird: A nearly 21-year-old dotterel still calls Bream Bay home.

Walkways will also be created to protect the birds by steering the public away from these sites.