23 November 2021, 4:39 AM
Local communities are working hard to protect these precious birds but it is not enough.With only 2500 dotterels left in Aotearoa, these tiny birds need all of us to do our part in protecting them.Since their breeding season is September to March coinciding with our summer period, human activity is one of the biggest threats to dotterels. Here is what YOU can do today to help save our Tūturiwhatu pukunui (dotterels):Keep dogs on leash. Even well behaved dogs can be an issue, as dotterel parents will try to frighten off dogs, leaving their chicks at the mercy of aerial predators. Read the signs and check before you go for a walk. It is an offence under the dog control act to allow a dog to disturb wildlife. Dog spotted off leash, chasing our exhausted shorebirds.Keep your cat inside at night. Cats have been detected entering the Shorebird Sanctuary at Omaha Beach, even recently. Often wandering over 3km from home when hunting, cats are a big problem for our exhausted shorebirds. The male dotterel protects the eggs at night. They won’t abandon their eggs until the very last minute, which is usually when a cat has gotten to them already. Without male dotterels, the species cannot continue to breed. Give these chicks a chance!Cat found in sanctuary at Omaha Beach last month.Stay off the sand dunes and out of the sanctuaries. There is plenty of space for everybody along our beautiful shorelines and our wildlife will only survive if they have their space too. Dotterels nest in shallow dips along the sand, usually amongst the dunes. Too many times, locals have had to ask other locals and visitors to please move from these sanctuaries. Barbecues, beach chairs, tents and even cricket games have been held amongst these protected areas. Please respect our wildlife and choose another spot to enjoy some sun. Speak up if you see others ignoring signage etc. Do the right thing.Dotterel eggs inside a nestLeave kelp on the beach for dotterels! They love to eat the bugs found within the kelp. NB dotterels do not feed their young. They coax them down from the ‘nest’ to the water line to teach them to feed themselves. It is critical not to get between parents and chicks. Keep an eye out for them, they are very small!Do your best to walk on the wet sand. Watch your step when crossing dry sand, where dotterels are more likely to nest. Dotterels are TINY and their eggs can be well disguised. If you see a dotterel that is acting injured or chirping a lot, stay away. They are trying to deter you from their nests. Parents being away from their nest for too long can cause eggs to get too hot in the sun and chicks to starve to death/aerial predators getting to them. A dotterel parent sitting on top of it's nest, a shallow dip in the sand.Call 09 301 01 01 to report any disturbances of wildlife. These animals are depending on us to speak up.Please, share this information with your friends and family as we can all do our part in looking after such amazing fauna. Let’s do the right thing!
