New Zealand Dotterel

Māori name: Tūturiwhatu

Scientific name: Anarhynchus obscurus

Nationally Increasing

The New Zealand dotterel is one of Pāuanui Beach's most important conservation stories. These small, beautifully marked wading birds nest directly on sandy beaches and river mouths — making them extraordinarily vulnerable. Pāuanui Beach regularly hosts significant numbers and is considered a critical site for the northern subspecies. Active management has helped the population recover from around 1,000 birds in the 1970s to an estimated 2,600 by 2020, but every nesting pair still matters enormously.

Did you know?

New Zealand dotterels perform a remarkable 'broken wing display' to lure predators away from their nest — dragging a wing along the ground as if injured to draw attention away from their chicks.

Threats

Ground-nesting on open beaches makes eggs and chicks completely exposed to cats, stoats, rats, and dogs. Human disturbance, vehicles on beaches, and high tides also destroy nests. Predator control around nesting sites is essential to their continued recovery.

Spotted a New Zealand Dotterel?

Report your sighting and help us track local populations.

Report a Sighting