Kaikoura is a stronghold for the banded dotterel, says researcher

Thursday, 20 October 2016

Ailsa Howard is conducting a five-year study on the banded dotterel in Kaikoura in a bid to try and prevent further decline of the species.

One year into a five-year study of banded dotterels on the Kaikoura coast and already much more is being understood about their decline.

Ailsa Howard is conducting research on dotterels nesting on the beach at South Bay, and says the birds' situation is critical.

Dotterel eggs are at risk from predation as well as from human activity as the nests are very difficult to spot among the stones.

She has just returned from speaking at the recent Australasian Shorebirds Conference in Auckland.

'I'm finding people are really interested - I wrote about it for Wader Quest and it's a story that's been replicated around the world.

The banded dotterel is in decline around Kaikoura's beaches because of an increase in predation. Only one fledgling survived last season from 20 nests.

* Braided river birds pop up in Kaikoura

* Funding will help stop black-backed gulls threatening endangered black-billed gulls**

'People are very worried and no-one has produced any data - this is only the third or fourth study.'

Howard's concerns for the dotterel are focused on their poor hatching and fledging rates.

Last year's study revealed just one fledgling from 20 nests and eight chicks, which she said was heart-breaking.

Part of the problem is predation from rats, stoats and other mammals, but nests are also disturbed or destroyed by human activity on the beach, whether it be quad bikes, dogs or walkers.

The nests are difficult to see among the sticks and stones, and often cannot be found.

'Because they are camouflaged it's not an easy study, but I think it is just something that really needs to be done.'

Her work involves searching for the birds daily, identifying them, tracking their progress, counting eggs and following them with their chicks.

This season's stats are faring better so far, but it is early days for the 14 or so chicks that have hatched so far.

'It takes 28 days to hatch, and then they need to survive for a further six weeks before fledging so they are still at enormous risk.'

The birds' sad success story was made all the more touching when you saw how much effort went in, Howard said.

'They put extraordinary resources into nesting, with all their peeping and behaviours.

'It is amazing to watch, but to see it fail over and over again when something goes and eats them, it is just so sad.'

Along with mammalian predators such as hedgehogs, rats and stoats, the black-backed gull was also causing trouble, Howard said.

'We are seeing a huge explosion of black-backed gulls because of our farming and rubbish practices.

'We see them here on the beach and all along our braided rivers.'

Howard said Kaikoura was a stronghold for the dotterel and their nests should be abundant on the beach as it provided the perfect habitat for nesting.

'There is such enormous value in going into the bush and seeing riflemen, for example.

'We've lost a lot of that and personally I think it's a tragedy.

'This [dotterel] study is completely fascinating but it's early days…although of course my hopes is that we could actually turn this around.'