Over 70 different kinds of birds have been recorded in the Otatara and Sandy Point areas. Many of the birds are native, but there are also many that have been introduced from other countries.
The Otatara Landcare Group booklet Natural Otatara (PDF, 3.62 MB) has drawings of most of the birds found in Otatara.
We’ve listed some of the more common ones for you. How many can you find?
Common bush birds
- Bellbird
- Brown Creeper
- Fantail
- Grey Warbler
- Harrier Hawk
- Kereru (native pigeon)
- Morepork
- Shining Cuckoo
- Silvereye
- Tomtit
- Tui
Introduced birds
- Blackbird
- Chaffinch
- Dunnock
- Goldfinch
- Greenfinch
- Little owl
- Magpie
- Redpoll
- Skylark
- Sparrow
- Starling
- Swallow
- Yellowhammer
Wetland and estuary birds
- Bittern
- Black swans (introduced)
- Canada Geese (introduced)
- Cattle egret
- Fernbirds
- Grey teal
- Mallard ducks (introduced)
- Marsh Crakes
- Paradise ducks
- Pied shags
- Pukeko
- Royal Spoonbill
- Scaup
- Shovellers
- White-faced herons
Waders
- Banded dotterel
- Black oystercatcher
- Pied oystercatcher
- Pied stilt
- Spur-winged plover (introduced)
Migrant waders
Migrant waders can be seen in the estuary during summer. Here’s some of the more common ones:
- Godwit
- Knot
- Turnstone
- Golden plover