There are fewer than 1000 matuku-hūrepo/Australasian bittern left in Aotearoa. Photo: Supplied
The Taranaki Regional Council has launched a interactive map to make it easier for the public to log sightings of Australasian bittern.
Hosted on its website, the map allows people to drop a marker where they have seen the elusive wetland bird, noting the time and place, and upload photos.
Senior ecologist Halema Jamieson said there were fewer than 1000 matuku-hūrepo/Australasian bittern left in New Zealand and maybe fewer than 30 in Taranaki, so it was essential that data was gathered to support conservation efforts.
"The public's help is absolutely vital as the matuku-hūrepo is counting on us for its survival. Knowing how many are left and where they are living is the first step to trying to improve their chances of survival," she said.
"The matuku-hūrepo is an absolutely beautiful bird and is truly an icon of healthy wetland habitats. We need to do as much as we can to ensure it does not go extinct. That would be a tragedy."
The move follows the council's support of the matuku-hūrepo/Australasian bittern for the Bird of the Year competition, run by Forest & Bird.
Data gathered would also be made available to the lovebittern.com campaign.
The national project was running a "great matuku-hūrepo muster" where members of the public were being asked to record wherever they saw or heard the bird between 19 October and 16 November.
Road signs have been installed either side of the Mohakatino bridge on SH3 near Mōkau, urging drivers to slow down for bittern. Photo: Supplied
Jamieson said Taranaki motorists could also help by watching out for matuku-hūrepo while driving.
Road signs had been installed either side of the Mohakatino bridge on SH3 near Mōkau, urging drivers to slow down, after two bittern were hit by cars in the area.
"We'll be out and about over the next few months looking for bitterns and we'll be adding our sightings to the map," Jamieson said.
"It's such an easy-to-use tool for recording where people have seen the matuku-hūrepo so please join us in backing the bittern and let us know when and where you've seen the birds."
Fast facts: The matuku-hūrepo/Australasian bittern
- Good places to spot matuku-hūrepo are wetlands around Taranaki from New Plymouth to Mōkau/Awakino, Ōkato to Ōpunake and south of Hāwera, especially in the Waverley/Waitōtara area
- The bird's conservation status is 'nationally critical'
- Matuku-hūrepo can be 74cm in length
- Males weigh up to 1400g, females 900g
- The bird is part of the heron family
- The main threat to matuku-hūrepo is the loss of habitat (wetlands)
- Matuku-hūrepo feed mainly on fish but also eat spiders, insects, frogs, lizards, molluscs and worms.